Kingdom of Earth
by AMX
Summary: Parody of Kingdom Hearts, and first in a series. Join Keyblade-wielder Abby and her new friends Ed and Double D as they explore worlds, battle Heartless, and save their friends Mick, Galleria, and King Eddy! R&R. No flames, please.
1. Prologue

**Author's Note**: *Stares blankly at potential reviewers* Uh…hi, everybody. Well, it's been a while since I first announced I would be doing this story, and after a **very **long period of pondering, I've finally made a decision.

I have decided to start my Kingdom of Earth series.

Now, I know most of you are rejoicing and jumping out of your seats at this point, but first, I thought I should just…warn you about a few things.

First of all, I don't mean any offense, but please don't expect this big epic story parallel to the game itself. I will try to get all the majesty of the original story; just in a more practical way. Second…I hope I'm not asking for too much, but _please _don't send me reviews or messages along the lines of "update soon." That will pretty much guarantee that I will _not _update soon.

So…now I'm probably going to be chewed out for this long author's note. So in closing…enjoy the story, and happy reading! ;)-**AMX**

**P.S. **If you want to see images of my three OCs in the story, go to my dA page.

* * *

Kingdom of Earth

_Long ago, there existed not many different worlds, but one large united world. This world was bathed in warm light, for all to enjoy. However…eventually, people began to fight over who owned this precious light. This introduced something new into the people's hearts: darkness. Soon, it seemed as though the entire world was plunged into darkness, and all signs of light were lost._

_But this was not the case at all. For you see, there were still small shards of light hidden in an unlikely place: inside the hearts of children. Knowing this, all the children of the world got together, and recreated the world using each child's small shard of light._

_But there was a catch: while the world was now not completely engulfed in darkness, it was not one big united world anymore. It was divided into smaller worlds._

_The reason for this happening was simple, yet so complicated: the children _did _have light; this was true, but they didn't have the _true _light._

_And that is because the true light was still hidden; hidden deep within darkness itself._

Prologue: The Dream World

Falling.

She was falling. That much she could tell.

Who was this "she," you ask? It's a young girl, age fourteen. She has blue eyes, and long black hair. While some of her hair is tied into pigtails with two red bead hair ties, the rest of it is tied into three thick, long bands that fall down her back (these are also tied off with red hair ties). She is wearing a yellow sleeveless tank top with purple collar and armhole cuffs, and a red stripe going down one side of the tank top. She's also wearing a jean skirt, a brown belt with a pack around her waist, and plain red sneakers. She's also wearing bracelets on each wrist: one with red and black beads on her left wrist, and one with blue and orange beads on her right wrist.

Oh, and one more thing. She's psychic. The telekinetic, clairvoyant, and telepathic kind of psychic.

Her name is Abby.

'_I've been having…these weird thoughts lately,_' Abby thought as she fell. '_Like…is any of this for real…or not?_'

Abby struggled to open her eyes. Now she could definitely tell she was falling. But…it also felt like she was underwater.

'_Is someone…trying to tell me something?_'

Abby blinked, and…the next thing she knew, she was back on one of the beaches of Vega Island, her homeland.

Confused, Abby turned around, toward the lapping waves on the sand. She saw somebody out in the water.

It was another girl, age fifteen. Unlike Abby, this girl had very dark skin, hazel eyes, and dirty blonde hair in a simple ponytail. She wore a dark green T-shirt with a dark red ring on the bottom and the top of the shirt; there were also holes in the top of the shirt that exposed her shoulders. She wore dark blue pants with red and black sneakers. On her right wrist was a bracelet made of red and black beads, identical to Abby's.

It was Abby's best friend, Galleria.

Abby attempted to call to her friend, but found that no sound came out when she opened her mouth.

'_Wh-what?_' Abby thought, grasping at her throat. '_Why can't I talk?_'

'_Abby!_'

Abby started; Galleria's voice flashed through her mind. She looked back at her friend; Galleria was holding her hand out, as if she wanted Abby to take it.

But Abby also saw something else: a giant tidal wave about to crash right into Galleria!

Abby immediately began running toward Galleria, trying to shout out a warning, to no avail. Just as Abby was about to reach Galleria, the wave crashed into them.

Abby felt herself flip underwater a few times before regaining her balance. When she refocused her eyes, she couldn't believe what she was seeing.

Galleria was still holding her hand out to Abby, as if nothing had happened!

Abby attempted to swim closer to her friend, when all of a sudden a sharp current of water shot her straight backward, forcing her to surface.

Abby was back to where the beach was, but something was different?

'_Sunset?_' Abby thought. '_But it was daytime before…_'

'_Hey! Abby!_'

Abby started; this time, it was another familiar voice in her mind. She turned around and found the source of the "voice."

Standing on the shore was a boy the same age as Abby. His skin was a little lighter than Abby's, and he had short, stringy red-orange hair and green eyes. He wore a simple white tank-top with a big letter "M" on it, jeans cut off at the knee, and a pair of white sneakers with blue and orange on them. Sticking out of one of his jean pockets was a metal chain; attached to the chain was a blue and orange beaded bracelet identical to Abby's.

This was Mick, Abby's other friend.

Abby began to run toward Mick; maybe he knew what happened to Galleria. But when she got to him, all he did was flash her one of his trademark smiles.

But then, Mick's attention turned to somewhere else. He was looking at something up in the sky. Abby followed his gaze until she saw what he was looking at: something was falling down from the sky. Abby squinted a little, and was suddenly shocked when she realized what it was.

It was _her_! Her body was falling down from the sky! But how was that possible…?

Just then, it felt like the ground gave way from below Abby's feet, and she suddenly found herself _falling through the sand_! She was just able to catch a glance at Mick's stunned face before all got dark again.

Then, it came back. The sensation of falling through water. But this time, Abby only fell for a little while…before landing on something solid.

Abby was confused at first, because it was all so dark. But when she took a step forward, a brilliant light shone below her; it was so bright, Abby had to cover her eyes. When the light finally cleared, Abby was even more shocked.

She was standing on a giant, circular stained glass picture. In the picture was a little girl, who couldn't have been more than ten or eleven years old, but…she was wearing a pink high school uniform and cute little pigtails. Circling the girl were five smaller pictures of five different girls: one with chin-length dark hair and energetic eyes, one with shoulder-length dark hair with wide eyes, one with long, light brown hair and glasses, one with long, black hair and calm blue-grey eyes, and one with short spiky brown hair and fiery eyes. They all seemed to be wearing the same uniform as the little girl.

'_Who…is this?_' Abby wondered, looking at the girl. Just then, a name flashed through her mind. '_Chiyo…Chiyo Mihama. But…I've never seen her before. Or any of these other girls! What's going on?_'

_**'So much to do, so little time…'**_

Abby jumped. This voice wasn't familiar to her. '_Wh-what?_'

_**'Take your time. Don't be afraid. The door is still shut.'**_

'_What door?_' Abby asked. '_Who are you? What do you mean?!_'

_**'The powers inside you…kindness, courage, and intellect. They will give you form…they will give you strength.'**_

Suddenly, the stained glass picture of Chiyo and the five girls disappeared, and Abby found herself falling again. But once again, she didn't fall for long.

Soon, Abby found herself on another stained-glass picture. In the picture was a different, older girl, also wearing a high school uniform, but hers composed of a white shirt with a light blue collar and skirt. The girl had chin-length brown hair with a yellow ribbon in it, and large brown eyes. The girl was framed by four smaller pictures: a girl with short gray hair and gray eyes (wearing a dark jacket over her uniform), a girl with long orange hair and big brown eyes, a boy with short, dark brown hair and a disinterested look on his face, and a boy with short, light brown hair smiling with his eyes closed.

As Abby looked at the girl in the picture, another name flashed through her mind.

'_Haruhi…Suzumiya…_'

_**'You have gained the ability to fight.'**_

There was that voice again!

'_Fight?!_' Abby thought.

_**'There will be times when you have to fight. But keep your light burning strong.'**_

Just then, Abby noticed something else. There was a door on the other side of the picture. She walked over to it and grabbed the handle, but the door wouldn't budge.

'_Huh?_' Abby thought. '_It won't open…_'

_**'Hold on. The door won't open just yet. First…tell me more about yourself.'**_

Suddenly, the door and the picture faded, and Abby found herself back on Vega Island. She turned around, and saw three other kids who lived on the island. They were Naru (a girl with wavy red hair and blue eyes), Yumi (a girl with long black hair and dark eyes), and Umino (a boy with sandy brown hair and glasses too big for his face) (**A/N**: these are not OCs; if you know where they are from, this is foreshadowing).

Abby walked over to Naru first. '_What are you afraid of?_' Naru's voice asked Abby.

Abby thought for a moment. '_I guess…getting old,_' she answered.

'_Getting old?_' Naru repeated. '_Is that really so bad?_'

Abby walked over to Yumi next. '_What do you want out of life?_'

Abby pondered for a minute. '_To see rare sights._'

Yumi tilted her head in thought. '_To see rare sights, huh?'_

Abby walked over to Umino last. '_What is most important to you?_'

'_Being number one,_' Abby answered.

'_Being number one?_' Umino repeated. '_But…is that really so important?_'

Before Abby had time to ponder this, she heard the mysterious voice again.

_**'Your adventure begins at dawn. As long as the sun is shining, your journey will be pleasant.'**_

'_My…journey?_' Abby asked.

_**'The day you open the door is both far off…and yet very near.'**_

Another flash of light…then the Vega Island surroundings were gone. Abby was standing on another stained-glass picture. This one was of a young man in a white robe. He had short black hair, piercing eyes, and was holding a sharp-looking katana. Behind the man was a pair of large, menacing eyes.

'_Samurai…Jack…?_' Abby repeated the name as it flashed in her mind.

_**'The closer you get to light, the greater your shadow becomes…'**_

As the mysterious voice spoke, Abby's shadow suddenly rose from the ground, enough so that it was standing right in front of her. Then, without any warning, the shadow charged at her; Abby flinched and shut her eyes. But when she dared to open her eyes again, she saw that her shadow had stopped, inches away from attacking her. It then sunk back into the ground at Abby's feet.

_**'You will be the one to open the door. But don't be afraid…'**_

Suddenly, the room was once again engulfed in light. It was too bright, and Abby was forced to shut her eyes.

_**'You hold the mightiest weapon in the universe…'**_


	2. Vega Island and Peach Creek Castle 1

Chapter 1: Vega Island and Peach Creek Castle, part 1

"Abby…"

Suddenly, Abby found that she could open her eyes again. But when she did, everything was very blurry. She blinked a few times, before finally being able to focus. And when this happened…

Abby saw a pair of familiar green eyes inches away from her own.

"WHOA!" Abby started, scrambling to stand up.

Abby heard a familiar voice laughing as she stood up. "Aw, man! I just love doing that for some reason…"

Abby glared at her friend. "Mick, you know I hate that…" she grumbled.

"Hey, I can't help it if you happen to be lazy," said Mick. "Shoulda guessed right from the start that you'd be snoozing down here."

"Wh-what?!" asked Abby, dumbfounded. '_But…I couldn't have been sleeping! It all felt so real! Someone was calling out to me…_'

After this, there was a pause. Then, Abby decided to speak again.

"Hey Mick…what was your hometown like?" Mick's expression became neutral. "You know…where you grew up."

Mick thought for a moment, then began to twirl a piece of his hair with his fingers. "I already told you," he said. "I don't remember."

"Nothing…at all?" Abby asked.

"Nope. Not a thing."

Abby pondered this. "…Do you ever wish you could go back?"

Mick tilted his head in thought. "Well…" His gaze turned toward the waves lapping against the shore. "I'm happy here…but I wouldn't mind being able to see it."

Abby smiled. "I'd like to see it, too," she said. "In fact…" She felt herself become excited. "I want to see the world you came from, and all the other worlds out there! I hope I get to see them all!"

Mick began to grin, too. "Exactly!" he said. "That's why we built our raft!"

"Don't you mean _I _built our raft?"

Abby and Mick turned toward the new voice. Galleria was walking toward them with an annoyed look on her face.

"Ouch," said Mick. "I think you're in trouble, Abby."

"You're one to talk!" said Galleria. "You're just as lazy as she is!"

Mick cringed. "O-okay, we'll all finish the raft together." He paused. "Hey, I'll race you guys back there!"

"What?!" asked Abby.

"Do we have to?" asked Galleria, who clearly wasn't interested.

"Ready…GO!"

Suddenly, Mick was sprinting down the beach, with Abby and Galleria not too far behind him.

---

Later, the sun was beginning to set over Vega Island. Abby, Mick, and Galleria were all sitting on their homemade raft.

Abby was gazing out at the ocean. She suddenly decided to speak up. "So…Mick's home is somewhere out there?"

Galleria followed Abby's gaze. "Not sure," she replied. "But we'll never find out by staying here."

"Would we be able to go that far on a raft?" asked Abby.

"If we have to, we'll think of something else," Galleria answered.

"So…" Mick joined in on the conversation. "If we actually _do _find another world…" He turned to his two friends. "What exactly do you plan to do there?"

Galleria chuckled. "You know, that's the thing," she said. "I don't know _what _I'd do, but I've been thinking…if there really _are _other worlds out there, why did we end up on this one? And if we're not the only world out there, that means we're all part of something much greater here. We could have just as easily ended up on another world. So…why did we end up on this one?"

Abby sighed. "Not sure," she said.

"Exactly," said Galleria. "That's why we need to find out. Just sitting here won't make any difference."

Mick looked at Galleria. "Sounds like you've been thinking a lot."

"Yeah, thanks to you," said Galleria. "If you hadn't come to Vega Island, I probably never would have thought about it." She gave a small smile. "Thank you, Mick."

Mick grinned. "Glad I could be of help." Suddenly, he held something up for the girls to see. "Hey, look what I'm making!"

Abby looked at the thing in Mick's hands. It looked like an unfinished charm made of seashells and string.

"Seashells?" Abby asked.

"It's a lucky charm!" said Mick. "I read that sailors would wear them on journeys for luck, in hopes that they would return home safely! I thought it would be a good idea to have one of our own."

Abby smiled, and grabbed a nearby flag that was sitting on the raft. "There's nothing to worry about!" she said, jumping off the raft and taking a few steps into the water. "Let's go!" she said, thrusting the flag into the air. "We're going to see another world!" She turned back to her friends. "And the best part is…we'll be doing it together, right?" she added, holding up her wrists to show her two friendship bracelets.

Galleria's expression remained blank for a few seconds, but then she flashed another small smile. "Right," she said, holding up her right wrist and showing her friendship bracelet.

"You bet!" said Mick.

Galleria looked at Mick. "Mick…" she said. "I can't help but notice that you're willing to make a lucky charm out of seashells, and yet you won't even wear the friendship bracelet Abby made for you on your wrist."

Mick glanced down at his friendship bracelet attached to his pocket chain, like it always was. "I-it's not that I don't like it, or anything like that!" he protested. "This is the cool way to wear a friendship bracelet!"

"The "cool" way?" asked Abby, obviously skeptical.

"Mick, I think you're trying way too hard," said Galleria.

"What?!" asked Mick. "Ooh, you guys are just jealous!"

---

After the three watched the sun completely set, Abby was walking back to the house she shared with her older brother. Suddenly, she felt a moving presence behind her. Without even missing a beat, Abby whirled around just in time to grab something that was thrown at her.

"Nice one." Abby looked as Galleria walked up to her. "I didn't even have to say anything."

Abby looked at the object Galleria had thrown at her. It was…

"A Paopu fruit?" Abby asked out loud. She looked at her friend. "What's this for?"

"I heard that if two people share a Paopu fruit, their destinies will become intertwined," Galleria explained. "The two people will always be a part of each other's lives, no matter what." She smirked. "Didn't you want to try it out before we set sail?"

"Wh-what?" Abby asked, confused. "What do you mean…?"

Galleria leaned in a little closer to Abby's face. "Well, if you're not going to try it, maybe I will…" she said slyly.

"What?!" asked Abby.

But Galleria was already walking away. "See you tomorrow!" she said.

Abby just stood there, staring at the fruit in her hands, before snapping back to her senses.

'_Ooh…what was that all about?!_' Abby thought as she continued to walk home. '_I know Galleria's my best friend and all, but sometimes…oh, who does she think she is?!_'

* * *

Meanwhile, unbeknownst to Abby, Galleria, Mick, or anyone else on Vega Island for that matter, trouble was brewing.

As it turns out, there really _were _other worlds out there. This particular world in question was known as Peach Creek. A few years ago, it was just a simple little town with a cul-de-sac. But now, the center of attraction was a giant castle that overlooked the town, appropriately named Peach Creek Castle.

Of course, a castle needs to be ruled by a king. Peach Creek Castle was no exception. A king ruled the castle, along with his subjects.

Only two people in Peach Creek had power second only to the king. These two people were the royal wizard, and the captain of the royal knight army. They also happened to be the king's best friends.

And at the moment, the royal wizard was in complete panic mode.

"Oh dear, oh dear, oh dear!" the wizard panted as he ran through the halls. "This is terrible! Just terrible!" The wizard was holding a letter in his hand; this is most likely what was causing him distress.

The wizard was wearing a red-orange short-sleeved coat, with a black long-sleeved shirt underneath. He wore purple shorts, red knee-high socks, and light blue shoes. His most prominent attire was on his head; the wizard wore a black stocking hat with two white stripes running up each side, covering all but three black hairs on his head. Hanging from the belt of his shorts was a blue wizard's staff; at the top of the staff was what looked like a jawbreaker wearing a hat identical to the wizard's hat, and on the bottom was a yellow crescent moon shape.

The royal wizard was twelve-year-old Edd, but everyone called him Double D.

Double D burst into the royal garden.

"Ed!" he called out. "ED! Where are you?! It's an emergency…!"

Since Double D was so panicked while he was running through the flowers, he didn't notice that someone was taking a nap in them until it was too late.

The next thing Double D knew, he was sprawled out on the ground, his legs tangled on another's body.

Double D looked behind him. Another boy the same age as Double D was emerging from the tall grass. He wore a dark green jacket covered in brown badges over a red and white striped shirt. He also wore dark blue jeans and black shoes. On his head were a pair of goggles, and below that was a big, fuzzy eyebrow that added to the goofy expression on his face. Beside the boy was a large shield with a shiny jawbreaker adorning the front of it.

This boy was Ed, the captain of the Royal Army.

"Uh…morning Double D…" Ed yawned.

"Morning?" asked Double D. "It's one o'clock in the afternoon…" He suddenly began to panic again when he remembered why he wanted to see Ed. "But that's not the point! Ed! We have an emergency! The king is…!"

"What? The king?" Ed asked, obviously a lot more calm than his friend.

"SHH!" aid Double D. "Don't make a commotion! We can't let anyone else know! The king…"

"Um, Double D? What's all the commotion?"

Double D froze. Both boys looked behind them. Standing there was blonde beauty Lady Nazz and Ed's little sister, Lady Sarah.

Double D looked at the two curious-looking ladies, then sighed. He had no choice.

"It…it's about the king…" he stammered. "I found this letter in his room…"


	3. Vega Island and Peach Creek Castle 2

Chapter 1: Vega Island and Peach Creek Castle, part 2

The next day, Mick was carrying supplies to the raft. At the same time, he was looking for Abby.

"Abby!" he called. "Where are you?" When he got no response, he exhaled sharply. "Sheesh…we're departing tomorrow! The least she could do is help."

What Mick didn't know was that he actually passed right by Abby.

At the moment, Abby was in a small cave she had been going into ever since she was really little. The cave's walls were strewn with chalk drawings obviously drawn in a young child's cramped style.

All the drawings had been done by Abby, and she had been very proud of them when she first drew them.

As Abby gazed at all the drawings, her thoughts went back to the day she showed Mick the secret cave…

_"This is Galleria's and my special place!" a six-year-old Abby said to a six-year-old Mick. "We're the only ones who know about it!"_

_"Wow, cool!" said Mick, wide-eyed with amazement._

_"But…" Abby added shyly, "Mick can come in…because he's cool!"_

_"That's right!" said Mick. "By the way, thanks for this cool bracelet, Abby!" He pointed to the bracelet attached to the small chain sticking out of his pocket. He looked around the cave; the walls were covered in pictures. "What are all these pictures of?"_

_"Oh, they're people I see in my dreams!" Abby replied. "I see all types of people. Imaginary friends, blue hedgehogs, skeletons…even a boy with dog ears!"_

_Mick's eyes grew wide again. "Wow!"_

_"And look!" said Abby, pulling Mick over to a particular drawing. "I already drew Galleria and me on here," Abby continued, pointing to two stick figures that resembled herself and Galleria. "Now we can add you on here!"_

_"Okay!" said Mick._

_With that, the two children each picked up a piece of chalk and began to draw Mick standing next to Abby and Galleria on the cave wall._

Abby sighed at the happy memory. Soon, she and her friends were going to leave the home they had spent their whole lives on, and go on an adventure to see what was truly out there. She couldn't have been more excited…

But suddenly, her excitement suddenly turned to fear. There was someone else in the cave with her. Someone she didn't recognize.

"I've come to see the door to this world…"

Abby whirled around. Right behind her was a woman she didn't recognize, completely covered by a hooded cloak.

"Who are you?" Abby asked quietly.

"This world has been connected…"

Abby was confused. "What do you mean?"

"Tied to the darkness…it will soon be completely eclipsed."

"Eclipsed?" Abby repeated. "I don't understand. Where did you even come from?!"

"You do not yet know what lies beyond the door…" Abby could just make out the woman smirking under the shadow her hood made.

"Beyond the door…" Abby repeated. Then, something clicked. "Are you from another world?!"

The woman sighed. "You understand so little."

Abby was not amused. "Is that so?" she asked. "Well, for your information, I'm about to see all different kinds of worlds! I'm gonna learn so many new things! I want to see the world outside Vega Island!"

The woman's head turned toward one of the cave's walls. "A meaningless effort," she said. "One who knows nothing can understand nothing."

Abby turned in the same direction as the woman, and got another shock. The cave's wall suddenly had an outline, with a keyhole in the center. It looked exactly like a door. Abby could vaguely remember those lines always being there, but…just not so prominent.

'_Was that always like that…?_' Abby thought, before deciding to turn her attention back to the woman. However, she had disappeared.

Abby looked all around the cave for the mystery woman, but had no luck. The woman was gone.

'_What just happened?_' Abby thought. '_Did I imagine that…?_' She turned back to the cave wall. It still looked like a door. '_I know I should be happy…but I can't shake that feeling…that something bad may happen._'

Abby slowly walked out from her secret place. As it turned out, the sun was beginning to set.

"Abby! There you are!"

Abby turned to her right. Mick and Galleria were walking toward her.

"Where have you been?" asked Mick. "We were all supposed to get supplies today!"

That's when Mick and Galleria noticed that Abby looked a little spooked.

"Hey, are you okay?" Galleria asked. "You look like you've seen a ghost."

"What?" asked Abby. She took a deep breath. "Uh…yeah. I guess…I'm a little nervous, that's all."

"Is that all?" asked Galleria. She put a hand on her friend's shoulder. "Look, as long as we stick together, nothing is going to happen to us, okay? We're going to have the greatest adventure of our lives!"

This calmed Abby down a little. If Galleria was this calm, it _must _be okay.

"You're right," she said. "I guess I'm just really excited, that's all."

"Well, the big day's tomorrow!" said Mick. "Be sure to get a good night's sleep."

"Don't worry about me," said Galleria. "You might have to worry about Abby, though."

"Hey now…" said Abby.

"Aw come on," said Galleria, playfully shaking her friend. "You know I kid, right?"

Abby smiled, in spite of herself. "Yeah."

"Good," Galleria replied. "See you guys tomorrow!" She then began to walk down the path, waving at her two friends.

Abby and Mick waved back. Then, when Galleria was out of sight, Mick turned to Abby.

"Abby, do you think Galleria has changed?" he asked her.

"Changed?" Abby repeated. "Well…I don't think so. But then again, I _have _known her longer." She turned to Mick. "What brought this up?"

"Well…" Mick trailed off.

"Is something wrong?" Abby asked.

"Abby…" said Mick. "Why don't we just take the raft? Just the two of us!"

"Wh-what?!" asked Abby. "What brought this on?"

Then, Mick grinned. "I'm sorry. That was rash of me." He paused. "You really don't go anywhere without Galleria, do you?"

Abby thought. "Well…not really," she replied. "I mean, don't get me wrong. You _are _my friend, Mick. It's just that…Galleria was my very first friend. I don't know what I'd do without her. You understand…right?"

Mick looked blank for a second. Then, to Abby's relief, he gave a warm smile.

"Of course I do," he said. "Abby…don't ever change."

Abby smiled back. "Don't worry," she said. "I don't think that will be happening any time soon."

The two teens looked out to the horizon, just as the last bit of sun disappeared.

"I can't wait," said Mick. "Once we set sail…it's gonna be great."

"Yeah," said Abby.

Little did they know, they were about to take part in the adventure of a lifetime.

* * *

Meanwhile, back in Peach Creek, all was not well. Double D, Ed, Lady Nazz, and Lady Sarah were still trying to digest the message that their king had left them. Another peasant (well, more like a peasant and a half) had joined them: a young boy named Jonny 2X4, and his piece of wood with a face drawn on it, Plank.

"Okay, explain to me what happened again?" asked Lady Nazz..

"Well…" said Double D. "I came into His Majesty's room to wish him good morning, just like I always do…but he wasn't there! The only person in there was Jonny, and he was holding this note!"

"Plank wanted to look at it," said Jonny. "But the king told us not to peek at it. We did good!"

"Yes, I did!" said Ed.

"Could you read that note again?" asked Lady Sarah.

"Of course…" said Double D. "It says…"

_Dear Ed and Double D,_

_Sorry to rush off like this so suddenly, but there's been a bunch of trouble happening lately. Stars are blinking out, one by one. I can't help but think that something bad is going to happen soon. I hate to leave you all like this, but I have to investigate this; it could be essential to the survival of our world! But there _is _hope. Somewhere out there is a special person with a "key"—it's the key to our survival. Ed, Double D…I need you guys to find this person…and stick with her. You got it? Without that key, we'll all be doomed! So first, go to Traverse Town to meet up with a special person called a Sailor Senshi. Her name is Sailor Moon. She'll point you in the right direction._

_Sincerely, The King_

_P.S. Could you tell Nazz that I'm really sorry?_

"Ugh…I still don't get it!" said Lady Sarah. "What does all this mean?"

"I'm not sure…" said Lady Nazz. "But for now…we'll just have to trust the king."

"You're kidding, right?" asked Lady Sarah.

"Now, I know the king wasn't very trustworthy in the past…" said Double D. "But he wouldn't have a reason to lie to me or Ed. I think this is serious." He turned to Lady Nazz. "Don't worry, Nazz. We'll get the king back here safe and sound."

"I sure hope he's okay…" said Ed.

"Until you return, Sarah and I will take care of things around here," said Lady Nazz. "Oh! I almost forgot!" She ran out of the room. Then, a few seconds later, she ran back in holding something. "This little guy showed up here a few days ago. He can chronicle your adventures!"

Lady Nazz was holding a little pink dog with brown spots, ears, and nose.

"H-h-hi…" said the dog.

"Oh my," said Double D. "And who might you be?"

"C-C-Courage…" the dog replied.

"Well, Courage," said Double D. "Would you like to come with us to help find our king?"

"I guess…" said Courage. "Not like I have anything better to do. Ohh…I know I'm not gonna like this…"

Lady Nazz passed Courage over to Ed.

"Aww…" said Ed. "You're kinda cowardly for a dog named Courage."

"Yeah," said Courage. "I get that a lot."

Double D sighed. "Well, I guess that's it," he said. He turned to Ed and Courage. "Brace yourself, gentlemen! It's our duty to find our king and bring him back here safely! We're going to Traverse Town!"

"Will there be peanuts there, Double D?" asked Ed.

Double D's face went blank. "Ed, don't ruin the moment."

"Sorry."


	4. Vega Island and Peach Creek Castle 3

Chapter 1: Vega Island and Peach Creek Castle, part 3

Back on Vega Island, Abby was double-checking her bags, making sure she had packed everything she needed for the trip.

"Let's see…swimsuit, bracelet making kit in my pack, plenty of clothes…am I forgetting anything?" Abby muttered to herself.

Suddenly, Abby stopped packing. She was sensing something. Something…not good. She ran to her window and flung open the curtain.

The sky above the island was pure black.

"Oh no!" Abby panicked. "We can't have a storm ruin the raft!"

Without thinking, Abby automatically opened her window, jumped onto the branch Galleria usually used to get in her room, gave a quick glance back to the window (and was satisfied when it slammed shut), and scrambled down the tree. She began to sprint toward the boat she used to get to the special island where the raft was being stored.

Meanwhile, Abby's older brother was still in the house, unaware that his little sister had even left.

"Abby, dinner's ready! Come on down!...Abby?"

When Abby finally got to the island, she got a surprise as she tied her boat to the dock.

'_Mick's boat is here…and so is Gallerias!_' Abby thought as she looked at the two other boats. '_They must have had the same idea as me._'

However, Abby had no idea where Mick and Galleria were on the island. But she had a little trick she could use to find out.

Abby closed her eyes, took a deep breath, and concentrated. She began to mentally search for other people's energy located on the island. After a few seconds…

'_I got it!_' Abby's eyes snapped open. '_Somebody's up on the cliff…but why do I only feel one person?_'

Abby sprinted onto the path that led to the cliff, curious as to who was there. But unbeknownst to her, something…some _things_…were following her…

Finally, Abby made it to the cliff, and she could just make out who was there.

It was Galleria. She was standing on the edge of the cliff, looking out at the ocean. But Abby couldn't help but notice that Mick was nowhere to be seen.

"Galleria?" Abby asked, taking a couple steps forward. "Where's Mick? His boat's here…why isn't he with you?"

"The door…is opening…"

Suddenly, Abby became nervous. For some reason…Galleria's energy didn't feel…_normal_.

"What?" Abby asked.

Then, without warning, Galleria whirled around to face Abby.

"The door is open now!" Galleria proclaimed, a crazed look in her eye. "We can go to the outside world now, Abby! Aren't you excited?!"

Abby started. Now she _really _knew something was wrong. She had never seen Galleria act like this before.

"Wh-what?" Abby asked. "Galleria, what are you talking about?! Don't you know where Mick is? We need to go look for him…"

"Mick's coming with us!" Galleria interrupted. She suddenly began to walk toward Abby, her arm outstretched to her. "Once we go through, we can never come back. We may never see our families again…but there's no turning back! We can't let our fears stop us! I'm not afraid of the darkness, Abby!"

At this point, Galleria was at arm's length from Abby, about to touch the frightened psychic. Abby panicked again.

"NO!" Abby shouted, thrusting her right arm out in front of her. Galleria's body jerked backward, while Abby stumbled, falling on her back.

When Abby sat up again, she became horrified. These…_things _were rising from the ground behind Galleria. They almost looked like living shadows.

Abby had no choice. She had to find Mick so they could get out of there.

Abby hopped up and began to run away from her friend, desperately doing a mental search to find Mick's energy reading. Suddenly, she got it.

'_Yes!_' Abby thought as she ran. Then, she realized where exactly Mick was. '_The…secret place? Why is he there?_'

Abby was running so fast, she almost missed the entrance to the secret place. But as she entered, she was near hysterics.

"Mick!" she called out. "We have to get out of here, now! Something's happened to Galleria, and…"

Abby stopped. Mick was standing in front of the wall with the door shape etched into it, facing away from her.

"M-Mick?" Abby asked nervously.

Mick slowly turned around. Abby could immediately see that he wasn't in good shape.

"A…Abby…" Mick was able to choke out.

Suddenly, the door shape in the cave wall…burst open! A black wind filled the cave, thrusting Mick toward Abby.

"Mick!" Abby yelled, holding out her arms. But when Mick's body got close enough to hers…well, his body seemed to go right through her!

Abby blinked. Mick was suddenly nowhere to be seen. She looked behind her, but to no avail.

Her other friend was gone.

"M-Mick…? Galleria?" Abby quietly asked.

But she got no answer. Everything around her was pitch black.

'_Wh-what's going on?_' Abby thought. '_Mick's gone, and…Galleria…that couldn't have been Galleria! Those weren't Galleria's eyes…_' Suddenly, the realization that both her friends were gone hit Abby. She wrapped her arms around her body and began to fight back tears in her eyes. '_What am I going to do?! I can't do this without them!!_'

_**'Don't be afraid…'**_

Abby's eyes snapped back open again.

'_That voice!_' she thought. '_It was from my dream…'_

That's when Abby realized something. Her hands felt…warm. She held them back out in front of her…and gasped.

Her hands were glowing! They were glowing a bright light! And…it looked like…something was actually forming in front of her…

_**'You possess the most powerful weapon in the world…'

* * *

**_

"Double D, is this the ship we'll be taking?" asked Ed.

He, Double D, Courage, Jonny and Plank, Lady Nazz, and Lady Sarah were all standing in front of a massive spaceship that looked like it was assembled from different colored blocks.

"Yes, Ed," said Double D. "This is the Gummi Ship; capable of visiting any world with the greatest of ease. It's just a little something I assembled in my spare time…"

"Look, Plank!" said Jonny. "We get to go on a spaceship!"

Meanwhile, Courage was still in Ed's arms, babbling incoherently.

"Be careful…all of you," said Lady Nazz.

"You guys better not mess this up!" said Lady Sarah.

"Please, don't worry," said Double D. "Our only wish is to make things right again. Right, Ed?"

"What?" asked Ed.

Double D sighed. "Never mind," he said. "Just get on."

Ed ran onto the Gummi Ship with Courage, followed by Jonny and Plank. Double D walked in behind them.

"Bring the king back safely!" Lady Nazz called to the boys.

Ed and Double D made themselves comfortable in the pilots' seats inside the Gummi Ship, while Jonny, Plank, and Courage looked around.

Double D picked up a small walkie-talkie. "This is Double D to launch crew," he said into the device. "Double D to launch crew. We're ready when you are!"

The message reached two boys in the engine room of the Gummi Ship. One was a tall, lanky, foreign-looking boy with blue hair; his name was Rolf. The other was a smaller, gentle-looking boy with a large curly tuft of hair on his head; his name was Jimmy.

Rolf answered the message. "Roger that, Double D Ed boy," he said. "Rolf now advises you to hold on to your pants!" He turned to his co-worker. "Prepare transport to launch pad, young Jimmy!"

"Uh…yes, right away!" said Jimmy in his small voice. He ran over to a lever and pulled it. This caused a large crane to come out, pick up the Gummi Ship, and set it back down on a large launch pad.

"Here it comes!" said Double D. He pressed a button on the control pad. "BLAST OFF!"

And just like that, the Gummi Ship began to fly away from Peach Creek Castle.

* * *

Abby stared in awe at the object that had just appeared in her hand. It looked like a giant key, but it had a chain hanging off of it. On the end of the chain was a charm that looked like a jawbreaker.

"What?!" Abby asked out loud. "What is this…a key? A sword?"

_**'Keyblade…keyblade…the power within you…'**_

"Key…blade?" Abby repeated.

Suddenly, Abby felt another presence behind her. She turned around…and got quite a shock.

Behind her was a _huge _shadow thing. _And _it was surrounded by those littler living shadows.

Abby only saw one option: she began to run away.

As Abby ran, the shadows chased after her. Without warning, the giant shadow thrust down one of its claws; it missed hitting Abby directly, but it _did _send her flying.

'_What can I do?!_' Abby screamed in her head.

_**'Don't be afraid…'**_

Suddenly, Abby felt calm again. She landed on her feet, and automatically took a fighting stance.

"I guess I have no choice…" she muttered. "I have to fight!"

A smaller shadow lunged at Abby. She swung the Keyblade at it, and to her surprise, it sliced right through. With this newfound knowledge, Abby began working her way back to the huge shadow, slicing littler shadows left and right.

"That's right!" Abby said as she fought. "Don't mess with me! I've been sword-fighting with Galleria before!"

Before Abby knew it, she was back at the giant shadow's feet.

'_Getting rid of these little guys isn't getting me anywhere!_' Abby thought. '_I have to take out this big one!_'

Suddenly, the giant shadow thrust its claw toward Abby again; she barely dodged it.

'_Man, this guy is much more powerful than those little ones! There _has _to be a weak spot somewhere!_'

Abby concentrated on the giant creature, searching for any sign of a weakness. She moved up the body, until…

'_That's it! The face is wide open!_'

Abby crouched down, concentrating all her power to her feet. Then, she sprang up, willing herself to go as high as she could. The next thing she knew, she was right in front of the shadow's face. She took the Keyblade and swung as hard as she could.

It was a direct hit.

The giant shadow reeled backward as Abby landed back on the ground.

"HA!" Abby said triumphantly. "You like that? There's plenty more where that…"

But before Abby could finish, she realized something. Everything around her was being blown away! The trees, the sand, the shadow things…all of it! And Abby could just make out what was sucking it all in: it looked like a giant, black sphere.

Abby immediately latched onto the closest object (a rock) and held on for dear life with her free hand (her other hand was still holding the Keyblade). Looking behind her, she saw more and more of the island being sucked in; even the giant shadow couldn't fight against the suction!

Then, the rock Abby was holding onto gave way. She began flying toward the black sphere, screaming the whole way.

* * *

"Uh…Double D?" Ed asked, squinting as he looked out the Gummi Ship's front window.

"Yes, Ed?" asked Double D.

"I think a star's going out."

"What?!" asked Double D. "Where?!"

"Right there!" said Ed, pointing to a spot on the window.

Double D looked. Sure enough, a star in front of them began to flicker, and then…it disappeared from sight.

"Oh dear…" said Double D. "This does not bode well…"

"Nope," said Ed. "It doesn't look good either!"

Double D sighed; he didn't have the heart to tell his friend that that was exactly what _he _said.


	5. Traverse Town 1st Visit 1

Chapter 2: Traverse Town, 1st Visit, Part 1

Soon after seeing the star go out, Ed and Double D reached their destination: Traverse Town. Soon, they found themselves outside the Gummi Ship and in the center of town, along with Jonny and Plank (Courage, Rolf, and Jimmy elected to stay on the ship).

"We need to find the owner of the Key," said Double D, looking around town.

"But don't we have to find that Sailor Moon lady, too?" asked Ed.

"Yes," said Double D. "Since the king mentioned her, she must be important. Let's go!"

Ed and Double D began to walk through the town. Suddenly, Ed realized they were one (well, one and a half) men short.

"Hey Double D?" asked Ed. "Where's Jonny?"

"What?" asked Double D, looking around. Sure enough, the young bald boy and his piece of wood long gone. "Oh no!" the wizard groaned. "He'd better be careful, wherever he is! There's no telling what will happen in this town…"

What Ed and Double D didn't know was that while they were talking, Jonny and Plank were standing in a back alley, looking at something that definitely didn't belong there. It was an unconscious girl with long, black hair, slumped against the alley wall.

"Check it out, Plank!" Jonny whispered to his piece of wood. Then, he paused, as it listening to what Plank had to "say." "Really? You think I should?" Jonny asked out loud; he paused again. "Okay!"

Jonny then took Plank and began to poke the unconscious girl in the head.

---

Abby suddenly found herself regaining consciousness because it felt like someone was poking her in the head with a stick. She began to try and refocus her line of vision.

"Ugh…what a dream…" Abby mumbled, finally focusing again. That's when she got a good look at her surroundings, including Jonny and Plank. "What the…?"

"Hi there!" said Jonny. "Hey, are you a hobo or something? 'Cause Plank says all hobos sleep in alleys…except for the ones who sleep in cardboard boxes…like the ones the king used to make that dinosaur! Hey Plank, do you remember that time when…"

While Jonny continued to ramble, Abby was standing up, wondering what was going on.

"Wait…this isn't a dream!" Abby exclaimed, the full shock hitting her. She turned back to Jonny. "Uh, excuse me…" Jonny stopped talking and looked at Abby with a blank expression. "Can you tell me where I am?"

Jonny looked around the alley. "Hmm…nope!" he finally said. "But…" He held Plank up to his ear. "Plank says he saw something interesting on the other side of town! Race ya there, buddy!"

And with that, Jonny took off, straight out of the alley.

Meanwhile, Abby was still trying to figure out what had just happened.

"Well, _that _was helpful," she said out loud. "Guess I'm on my own here…"

Abby walked out of the alley, and couldn't believe what she was seeing. It was an entire town she had never seen before.

"I…I don't believe it!" she said. "I'm in another world!"

Suddenly, Abby heard a thumping noise over to her right. She turned, and then gasped. Near one of the buildings was a man, passed out facedown on the ground.

Abby made her way over to the man. "Hey, are you…?" However, she never got a chance to finish.

Suddenly, one of the black creatures from the island jumped out, landing on the man's back. Abby could see something being held in its claw.

"A…heart?" she asked. "Is that _his _heart?!"

The creature didn't answer. Instead, it took the heart…and crushed it in its claw!

Abby was stunned. She was even more horrified when she realized what was happening to the man.

_'He's…disappearing?!'_ Abby thought. Sure enough, the man's body became more and more transparent until it was completely gone.

In the place where the man once lay, more shadow creatures began rising from the ground.

_'The things from the island!'_ Abby thought urgently. Without thinking, she ran in the opposite direction, right into the nearest building.

Abby braced herself against the door, just in case the creatures decided to ram it.

"Are you here to buy something?"

It was then that Abby realized exactly what she did. She looked around, and saw that she was now in an accessories shop.

There were four women in the shop, and they looked like they ran the place. One woman, behind the counter, had short blue hair and glasses on; the other three were placing supplies on different shelves. Onc woman had long, black hair; one had brown hair put up in a ponytail; and the last one had long, blonde hair tied with a red ribbon.

"If you're not here to buy anything, then get out!" said the woman with black hair.

"Rei, don't be rude!" said the woman with blue hair. She turned back to Abby. "Hey, are you all right? You don't look so good."

"Uh…don't worry. I'm fine," Abby managed to say, feeling embarrassed for barging in. "I was just…"

Suddenly, something banged up against the door, spooking Abby. The four women became alert.

"What?!" asked the woman with brown hair. "Are they back?"

"Those Heartless aren't very good for business…" said the woman with blonde hair.

The four women made their way to the door.

"Don't worry," the blue-haired woman said to Abby. "We'll handle this."

"What…?" Before Abby could finish her question, the four women threw the door open and ran outside. What happened next…was sort of a blur.

_"Mercury Crystal Power…"_

_"Mars Crystal Power…"_

_"Jupiter Crystal Power…"_

_"Venus Crystal Power…"_

_"MAKE UP!"_

Abby suddenly had to shield her eyes from a flash of light, and when it cleared…

The black creatures were gone, and the four women were…wearing different clothes. They were all wearing what looked like sailor-style school uniforms, but each girl's uniform was blue, red, green, or yellow, respectively. They walked back into the store, shutting the door behind them.

"Man, I'm not seeing the point in de-transforming anymore," said the girl with the black hair (the one wearing the red sailor uniform). "More and more just keep coming!"

"Well, now that I think of it, they haven't been in this part of town for a while," said the woman with blue hair (wearing a blue sailor uniform).

"You think they found something they want?" asked the woman with brown hair (wearing a green sailor uniform).

"That's probably the case…" said the woman with yellow hair (wearing a yellow sailor uniform). "Oh! That girl…"

The four women looked back at Abby, who was staring in shock.

"I'm sorry," said the woman with blue hair. "I guess we owe you an explanation, don't we?"

Abby took a deep breath, trying to regain her composure. "Uh…yeah," she said. "I'm really confused here. My name's Abby, by the way." She paused. "Who _are _you?"

"I'm Sailor Mercury," said the woman with blue hair.

"I'm Sailor Mars," said the woman with black hair.

"I'm Sailor Jupiter," said the woman with brown hair.

"And I'm Sailor Venus," said the woman with blonde hair.

"We're the owners of this accessory shop," Sailor Mercury explained. "But we also help keep the peace here."

"Okay…" said Abby. "Those black things…they're called Heartless?"

"Yes," said Sailor Jupiter. "They're monsters that prey on peoples' hearts."

_'That explains the scene I saw earlier…'_ Abby thought. "So…is this another world? I was on an island before…but the next thing I knew, I was in this town. And my friends, Galleria and Mick, are missing!"

The four women paused.

"Well…" Sailor Venus finally spoke, "This is Traverse Town. A lot of people who have lost their homeland have ended up here. That could mean your friends aren't too far behind…"

"I bet if you looked around the town, you may find something," said Sailor Mars.

Although this didn't totally calm Abby down, she was happy to know there was a sliver of hope she could hold onto.

"All right," said Abby. "Thank you very much." She went to exit the building.

"Just be careful," said Sailor Mercury. "The Heartless could jump you at any moment."

"I'll remember that," Abby answered.

However, as soon as Abby walked out of the accessory shop, she found out that the Heartless were the least of her worries.

"They'll come after you…as long as you continue to wield the Keyblade."

Abby whirled around, standing face-to-face with another woman. She was dressed in a sailor uniform similar to the four women from the shop, but this woman's was much more elaborate; it had tints of red, blue, yellow, and pink throughout. But unlike the other four women, this woman had large angel wings on her back! She also had long, blonde hair tied into two pigtails.

Abby felt uneasy again. "The…Keyblade?" She remembered the mysterious voice and the weapon she had back on the island. Suddenly, the Keyblade appeared in her hand, as if just thinking about it would make it appear. "How do you know about this?"

"I was informed of your arrival," said the woman. Then, she did something Abby didn't expect: she smiled. "If you come with me, I'll answer any more questions you may have."

But after what had been happening so far, Abby just wasn't sure. Just to be safe, she did a quick, light search of the woman's mind. She didn't detect anything suspicious. But still…

"If this is some kind of trick…" Abby warned.

"Don't worry," said the woman. "I don't blame you for being suspicious. You deserve to know about everything that's been going on."

The woman began to walk away. Abby saw no other option but to follow her. It was her only lead at the moment.

---

Meanwhile, Double D and Ed weren't having much luck themselves.

"Sheesh, there's so many places to look here…" Double D grumbled, beginning to be frustrated.

"There's nobody else on the streets," Ed observed. "This reminds me of this one late-night movie I once saw about how this one guy was the last person on the planet…"

"Oh, come now, Ed," said Double D. "It's not like I'm scared or anything…"

Suddenly, something shot out in front of Ed and Double D. The wizard started, and jumped straight into Ed's arms. Ed looked at the object thrown at them.

"It's just a rose, Double D," said Ed.

Double D looked, too. Stuck to the ground in front of them was a single rose.

"What in the world…?" asked Double D.

"Did the king send you?"

Ed and Double D looked up. Standing on top of one of the buildings was a man wearing a tuxedo. He also wore a top hat, a cape, white gloves, and a white mask over his eyes.

"Ed," said Double D. "I do believe we've found an informant."


	6. Traverse Town 1st Visit 2

Chapter 2-Traverse Town, 1st Visit, part 2

Abby's brain was turning in circles. Just the day before, she was thinking about seeing different worlds with her best friends, Mick and Galleria. Never in her wildest dreams could she have predicted that she would end up on another world, surrounded by shadow creatures and strange women, and possessing a weapon known as the Keyblade.

At the moment, she was sitting on a bed in a hotel. Not only that, she was being stared at by a smaller girl with pink pigtails and big red eyes. The other woman with the blonde pigtails (who, at some point, had somehow changed out of her elaborate sailor costume and into civilian clothes) was also in the room; Abby couldn't help but notice that the two girls shared a slight resemblance.

Finally, after a prolonged silence, the girl with pink hair spoke up.

"She doesn't look like much, Usagi," the younger girl said to the woman, who had been staring out the window.

The older woman (Usagi) turned toward the girl. "Chibiusa…" she said quietly, "you know it's not safe to use our real names right now…"

"Oh, right," said the younger girl (Chibiusa). She turned back to Abby. "I know all this is sudden, but we had to get you and the Keyblade out of there so those creatures wouldn't come after us. It's how they've been tracking you."

"This is so we can conceal your heart," said Usagi, walking up next to Abby and Chibiusa. "But that won't stop them for long." Her gaze turned to the Keyblade. "I have to admit, even I'm surprised that you out of all people are the chosen one." She took the Keyblade from Abby's hand, to look at it closer. Suddenly, in a flash of light, the Keyblade disappeared out of Usagi's hand and reappeared in Abby's.

At this point, Abby finally managed to find her voice.

"Uh…could somebody please just tell me what's going on here?"

---

Meanwhile, in another room, Ed and Double D were talking to the man wearing a tuxedo and cape. He had introduced himself as Tuxedo Kamen.

"So, I take it that you two know about the other worlds out there," said Tuxedo Kamen. "Besides your castle and this town, that is."

"We do indeed," said Double D.

"But, uh…isn't that supposed to be a secret?" asked Ed.

"Yes," answered Tuxedo Kamen. "It's a secret because they have never been connected. Until now." He paused, and turned his gaze toward the floor. "When the Heartless came, it changed everything."

---

"The Heartless?" Abby repeated. "Is that what those shadow things are called?"

"That's right," said Chibiusa. "The Heartless are…well, those without a heart."

"They are attracted to the darkness that lies within people's hearts," Usagi continued. "And unfortunately…there is darkness in every heart."

Chibiusa spoke up again. "Have you ever heard of someone named Galaxia?" she asked Abby.

---

"Galaxia?" Double D asked Tuxedo Kamen. "I can't say I've ever heard of anyone with that name."

"And even if someone told me, I'd probably forget it anyway," said Ed.

"Galaxia was a well-known scientist," Tuxedo Kamen explained. "She was studying the Heartless. She recorded all her findings in a very detailed report."

"A report?" asked Double D.

"Can we see it?" asked Ed.

Tuxedo Kamen's face turned serious. "Unfortunately, the pages of the report are scattered everywhere."

"Everywhere?" asked Double D. "As in, across all the different worlds?"

"Exactly," answered Tuxedo Kamen.

"Maybe the king went to find the pages for the report," Ed suggested.

"That's exactly what I was thinking," said Tuxedo Kamen.

"So all we need to do is locate our missing king!" Ed said proudly. "Double D, should we find the king quickly?"

"Yes, that's the idea, Ed," said Double D. "But there's still the matter of finding the 'key' the king described in his letter."

"That's right," said Tuxedo Kamen. "The Keyblade."

---

"So…this is the key?" Abby asked Usagi and Chibiusa.

"Exactly!" said Chibiusa.

"The Heartless have great fear of the Keyblade," Usagi explained. "That's why they won't stop coming for you, no matter what?"

"But…why did it even choose me?" Abby asked, still a little confused. "I certainly didn't ask for this!"

"It can't be helped," said Usagi. "The Keyblade chooses its master, or in this case, mistress; it chose you."

"In other words, tough luck," said Chibiusa.

"Chibiusa!" said Usagi, obviously displeased.

"But…how did this all happen?" asked Abby. "I remember being in my room, and…" Suddenly, Abby snapped to attention. "Wait…my room! What happened to my home…or Vega Island?! And my friends, Mick and Galleria!"

Usagi's face softened. "The truth is…none of us really know." She straightened up again. "I'm sorry to have to tell you this, Abby, but sooner or later, the Heartless will come after you. You need to be prepared to fight for your life. Are you ready?"

Abby gazed at the Keyblade in her hand; she tightened her grip on it. "I guess for now, I have no choice…" she said, standing up.

Usagi turned to Chibiusa. "Chibiusa, go get Mamoru," she said. "He should be here with the other guests by now."

Chibiusa nodded, but then unexpectedly started. "Usagi!" she exclaimed, pointing to a corner of the room.

Usagi and Abby looked. In the corner of the room, a Heartless was emerging from the wall.

"Go, Chibiusa!" said Usagi. As Chibiusa ran out of the room, Usagi thrust her right arm in the air. "_Silver Moon Crystal Power…MAKE UP!_"

A flash of light filled the room, and when it cleared, Usagi was wearing her sailor costume. Abby had been told earlier that in this form, Usagi was known as Sailor Moon.

"Just stick with me," Sailor Moon told Abby. "I'll back you up!"

Abby nodded in understanding.

---

Meanwhile, Ed and Double D were still talking to Tuxedo Kamen, when they were heard banging from the other rooms.

"What in the world…?" Double D asked, walking over to the door and reaching to open it.

But before he could, the door burst open, smashing Double D into the wall in the process. The person who opened the door was Chibiusa, who was now sporting a sailor uniform similar to Sailor Moon, except it was pink.

"Sailor Chibi-Moon?!" asked Tuxedo Kamen.

"Mamo-chan!" said Sailor Chibi-Moon. "We have a situation!"

"I'm coming!" said Tuxedo Kamen, running out of the room with Sailor Chibi-Moon.

Sailor Moon, Abby, Sailor Chibi-Moon, and Tuxedo Kamen all met up in the hallway, running down to the first floor of the hotel and outside.

Meanwhile, Ed and Double D were still in the same hotel room. Ed watched as the door that was flattening Double D finally creaked away from the wall, revealing a noticeably flatter Double D against the wall.

"Are you all right, Double D?" asked Ed, as Double D peeled himself off the wall.

"Well, _this _adventure is going off to a great start," said Double D. "What happened, Ed?"

"Uh…I think there are more guests outside," said Ed.

"Oh dear…" said Double D. "We'd better check it out. Come on, Ed!" He ran out the room.

"In your hat, Double D!" Ed answered, following Double D outside.

---

Meanwhile, Abby was outside, fighting off any Heartless that crossed her path. Sailor Moon had advised her not to bother with the smaller Heartless; there was a ringleader somewhere in the town, and they had to get it.

Abby soon found herself in the third district of the town. At the same time, Ed and Double D were on the bridge above the district, surrounded by Heartless.

"Keep fighting, Ed!" Double D exclaimed, throwing every spell he could at the Heartless.

"Roger walnut!" Ed replied, throwing his shield at the creatures. Then, suddenly, as he was catching his weapon, he leaned back a little too far over the edge of the bridge. "Uh oh!" Ed exclaimed as he began to fall off.

Double D turned around, just in time to see Ed disappearing over the side. "Ed!" he exclaimed, just barely grabbing the edge of Ed's jacket. "You get back up here and help me fight!"

Unfortunately, Ed's weight was too much for Double D, and the next thing the two boys knew, they were falling straight off the bridge…and landed right on someone who happened to be standing right under them.

Abby was not expecting a sudden impact on her back. One minute she was standing in the third district with the Keyblade; the next, she was facedown on the ground, her hand holding the Keyblade was sticking out in front of here, and there was a heavy weight on top of her.

"The key!" Abby suddenly heard two voices right above her say. She rolled over, and found two young boys next to her. One was holding a shield, and the other was holding what appeared to be a wizard's staff.

Abby was about to ask what the boys meant by "the key," when they heard a massive rumbling behind them. She turned around, and was shocked. Towering over the three was a giant, monstrous creature, which appeared to be made of metal. There was a large red and black heart on its chest.

"Look out!" said the boy with the shield, throwing his weapon at the metal monster. It stumbled back.

"_Cure!_" the other boy called out, holding up his staff.

Suddenly, all of Abby's fatigue just vanished. She even _looked _better.

"Thanks," Abby said to the wizard boy.

However, the thanks were cut short as the monster regained its balance.

Without even thinking, Abby, the knight, and the wizard began fighting the Heartless ringleader together. Abby continually slashed at the monster with the Keyblade, while simultaneously scanning it, attempting to find a weak spot. The knight would either throw his shield at the monster or ram into the monster himself, shield and all. The wizard was curing Abby, the knight, and himself at whatever chance he got, and also shooting fire, ice, and lightning spells at the monster.

Abby landed back on the ground after a good series of slashes, just as she locked onto the monster's weak spot. Mustering all the psychic energy in her body, Abby thrust her Keyblade-free hand out and shot out the energy, effectively stopping the monster from moving.

The wizard and the knight were visibly surprised, until they looked at Abby.

"The weak point is the middle of the chest!" Abby called out to the other two as she strained against the power of the monster. "We all have to hit it at the same time!"

The two boys nodded, signaling that they understood. They landed next to Abby, aiming all their power at the monster's chest.

Then, Abby whipped her hand back, breaking her grip on the monster. Then, with perfect synchronization, the three unleashed the full brunt of their abilities straight into the monster's chest.

When the three hit the ground again, the monster was actually fading into blackness. A giant, translucent heart floated out of the monster's structure, and then disappeared.

With the atmosphere cooled down again, Abby turned back to the wizard and the knight.

"So…how do you guys know about the Keyblade?" she asked the two boys.

"They've also been searching for the chosen warrior of the Keyblade," said Sailor Moon. She, Tuxedo Kamen, and Sailor Chibi-Moon were walking up to the other three.

"Ooh! Ooh! I know!" said the knight. "Why don't you come with us?" he asked Abby. "We can travel to other worlds in our super-cool spaceship!"

"Really?" Abby looked uncertain. "Then…do you think we could find my friends, Mick and Galleria?"

"Of course we can!" said the wizard.

"Really?" asked the knight.

"I don't know," the wizard replied in a hushed voice (although it wasn't hushed enough, because Abby could hear it loud and clear). "But we need her to come with us so we can find the king!"

"Abby, go with them," said Sailor Moon. "Especially if you want to find your friends.

"Uh…okay…" said Abby, who still looked uncertain.

"Well, you certainly can't go with us looking like that!" said the wizard. "There will be no such frowning or sad faces on our ship."

"You need to look funny, like us!" said the knight, showing off a big grin. "Happy faces power our ship."

"Happy?" Abby asked. She sighed. Then, she bent her head down. When she brought it back up, her face was plastered with the biggest smile she could muster. "Eeeeee…"

POP!

Abby jumped, then looked behind her. She had been putting so much strain on her smile, she unconsciously caused the light bulb in the streetlight behind her to explode.

"Uh…oops." Abby then gave a more sheepish smile.

"By any chance, can your psychic powers be affected by your emotions?" asked the wizard.

Abby shrugged in defeat. "Unfortunately…yes," she replied. Then, she looked up again. "All right…why not? I'll go with you guys!"

"Splendid!" said the wizard. "My name is Edd, with two d's. Just call me Double D."

"Hello, my name is Ed!" said the knight.

Abby smiled; this time, it was genuine. "My name is Abby."

"Aw, this is so cool!" said Ed. "We're friends for life and friends for real now!"

This caught Abby's attention. "Oh! That reminds me…" She pulled two objects out of the pack around her waist, and held them out to Double D and Ed. "Here…they're friendship bracelets," she said. "They're to show that we'll always be friends." To her relief, Ed took the one with alternating red and green beads, while Double D took the one with alternating blue and orange beads. "You…don't have to wear them if you don't want to…"

"Well, Abby…this is very nice," said Double D, putting his one. "Thank you."

"Cool!" said Ed, putting his on.

Abby was finally beginning to feel better. Somehow, she knew things were going to be all right.

---

However, what Abby, Double D, or Ed didn't know was that they were being spied on. Somewhere, in a deep, _dark _place, a group of individuals was sitting around a table, watching the three.

"So, that young lady actually took down the Heartless," one of the people said in a smooth, low voice. "Interesting…"

"No, it's the power of the Keyblade." This comment came from a shorter person; sitting in the chair behind him was a female with glazed-over eyes, holding a book with a weird pattern on it. "That power is not her own."

"Then why don't we just turn her into a Heartless?" another individual suggested. He looked human, but he also had noticeably…catlike features. "That would settle things quick enough."

"Even better, she's traveling with that king's lackeys!" Another person at the table had distinctly large, pointed ears. Standing-no, _floating_-behind him were three similar-looking persons. Someone in that group was the one talking. "I don't see what the big deal is, though. They don't look _that _high and mighty…"

"You're no prize, either!" the last individual drawled at this. He was the least human looking of all; he looked more like a big, moving potato sack than anything else.

"What was that?!"

"Enough."

All the people at the table looked behind them. It was the ringleader that spoke up. He looked like a giant, flaming, living black shadow with a green face, and a red beard and eyebrows. He was known as Aku, the shape-shifting master of darkness.

"The Keyblade has chosen that girl," said Aku. "We cannot change that. But will she conquer the darkness, or will it just swallow her? Either way…" He sported a malicious grin. "She could be useful for us…"


	7. Foster's Home 1

Chapter 3, Foster's Home for Imaginary Friends, part 1

"I still can't get over how big this ship is…" Abby murmured as she gazed out the window of the sailing Gummi Ship.

"Now remember, Abby," said Double D as he was piloting the ship. "We'll be visiting many different worlds…but we can't tell anyone we're from a different world!"

"Yep!" said Ed, who was sitting in another chair next to Double D's. "That's 'cause we gotta protect the world border!"

"That's _order_, Ed," Double D corrected, slightly annoyed.

Abby continued to gaze out the window as she absentmindedly stroked Courage, who was sitting on her lap.

When Double D and Ed first showed Abby the Gummi Ship, she was introduced to Jimmy and Rolf, who kept the ship in working condition, and Courage, who would be chronicling their adventure. Courage, in particular, had taken a fancy to Abby.

'_This view is amazing…_' Abby thought as she gazed at the starry sky zooming by them. '_I wish Galleria and Mick could see this…_'

"We're here!" said Double D.

Abby turned back to her new partner. "Already?" she asked.

"Yep!" said Ed. "Look!"

Abby looked. In front of the Gummi Ship was a small planet with a giant mansion on top of it.

"Wow…" the psychic girl said. "So that's what another world looks like?"

"Prepare for landing!" said Double D.

---

The next thing Abby knew, she, Ed, and Double D were walking down a street in what appeared to be a normal-looking town.

"So…what exactly are we supposed to do here?" Abby asked.

"We look for any suspicious activity involving the Heartless…and discreetly dispose of it," answered Double D.

"Ooh! I can do that!" said Ed. "I will be the best discreet warrior I can be, Double D!"

"I'm sure you will, Ed," said Double D.

Just then, a poster on a nearby streetlight caught Abby's eye. She walked over to it, in order to get a good look.

"What is it, Abby?" asked Double D.

"This poster…" Abby said. "It's talking about something called 'Adopt-a-Thought Saturday' at a place called Foster's Home for Imaginary Friends."

"So?" asked Ed.

"I can't really explain it…" Abby continued, "…but I think what we're looking for is at that house."

"Are your powers kicking in again?" asked Ed.

"And how do you know for certain what we're looking for is there?" asked Double D.

"Only one way to find out," said Abby. She began to walk in a new direction, presumably toward the mysterious house.

"Wait…so you can figure out a place's location just by looking at its picture?" asked Double D.

"Sometimes," Abby answered. "Or maybe it's just because the house is right there."

Double D looked. A few feet away, behind some bushes, was the same house as the one in the poster.

"Oh…" said Double D, sheepishly following Abby.

"Double D, do you think we'll find Jib here?" Ed asked as he followed his friends.

"Let's save that for another time, Ed," Double D answered.

"Who's Jib?" asked Abby.

"Ed's imaginary friend," said Double D. "It's a long story."

At this point, the trio had made it to the front of the house. But they weren't expecting the spectacle they saw.

On the front lawn of the house was a very large gathering of the most fantastical creatures you could imagine; Abby assumed that these were the imaginary friends that lived in the house.

"Wow…" said Double D.

"Cool!" said Ed.

Abby was slightly awestruck herself. "That's a big house…" she said. "But I guess it has to be to house all of them…"

"Oh!"

Abby noticed that an older girl with red hair and a green jacket was walking up to them.

"Uh…hi. Listen…" said the woman. "We're sorry, but…we just ended Adopt-a-Thought Saturday. You'll have to come back next weekend."

"What?" asked Abby, not quite understanding. "Oh…well, that's okay.

"But if the event is over, why are all these friends still outside?" asked Double D.

"Well, that's the thing…" said the woman. "The truth is…we think something's wrong with the house. I think we have some sort of pest infestation or something."

"Pests?" asked Ed. "Like rats?"

"No, I don't think it's rats…" the woman continued. "In fact, none of us are really sure what's wrong. We were all just getting ready to go back inside when some of the friends noticed that the house was filled up with this black smoke."

"Black smoke?" asked Double D. "You mean like a fire?"

"No, I don't think it's a fire…" said the woman. "But some of the friends who have been looking into the windows keep saying that they're seeing these little black things with big yellow eyes running around inside the house. I'm not sure if it's just some imaginary friends in the house or what; if they are, I don't remember seeing anything that look like that…"

"Black things with yellow eyes?" asked Ed. "Maybe it's the…"

Double D immediately tugged Ed away from the conversation.

"We can't mention the Heartless to anyone!" Double D hissed to the knight. "If we do, we'd be meddling too much! Just be quiet, Ed!"

"Oh, uh…okay, Double D," said Ed.

Even though they were whispering, Abby's powers made it so she could hear the whole thing loud and clear. Ed was obviously hurt. Sure, it was imperative that they keep their mission private, but…

Abby decided to get more details from the woman. "So, basically you guys can't get in because some unknown creature is inside the house," she said to the woman. "Is that it?"

"Well, actually it's not just that," said the woman. "The main thing we're worried about is…there are some people still inside. We don't know if they're okay or not."

"I see…" Abby looked at the large group of imaginary friends gathered around the house's windows. "So why hasn't anyone gone into the house to look for them?"

The woman shrugged. "Everyone's too scared."

"Oh…" Abby thought for a moment. "Well…what if I said that we could get rid of the creatures in the house for you?"

"Really?" asked the woman. "You can do that?"

"We can do that?" Double D repeated.

"Sure," said Abby. "Why not?"

"Oh, thank you!" said the woman. "You don't know how much this helps us. Oh…I'm sorry! I haven't even introduced myself! My name's Frankie; Frankie Foster."

"My name's Abby," Abby said back. "These are my friends, Ed and Double D."

"Hello!" said Ed.

Meanwhile, Double D was muttering something about deeply meddling with the balance of the world under his breath.

"Here, I'll help you get to the front door," said Frankie. "Man, it's a good thing my grandma and that full-of-hot-air rabbit aren't here to se this…" she added under her breath.

With Frankie's help, Abby, Double D, and Ed soon found themselves at the front door of the massive house. There were three friends that stood out in particular: one was extremely tall and red, with a missing arm and stalked eyes (one was bent); one looked like a cross between an airplane, a bird, and a palm tree; and the last one, standing in front of the door, was a giant, purple Spanish-themed monster. He was also shivering.

"Eduardo, you need to move so these people can get in the house," said Frankie. "They're going to help us."

"But…the monsters…" said the Spanish-themed monster, Eduardo.

"It's okay," said Abby. "We're going to get rid of the monsters for you. You could say we're experts at this kind of thing."

"Experts?" asked Eduardo. He turned to the tall, red imaginary friend. "Wilt, do they look like experts to you?"

"Hmm…" said the tall imaginary friend, Wilt. "Well…I'm not sure, Ed. I'm sorry, but I guess I'm no _expert _at figuring out experts!" Wilt laughed at his own joke, then went back to peering in through the darkened window. "So, what exactly _are _those things? I'm sorry, but I've never seen any type of imaginary friend like _that_. Coco here says they're some type of new bug," he continued, gesturing to the airplane-bird-palm tree imaginary friend, "but I don't know."

Coco responded with a rapid line of clucking, which distinctly sounded like "coco."

Ed seemed surprised by this; but his confusion was immediately swapped with a happy grin. "No need to say anything, Coco," he said, "as we would not understand it anyway."

"The identity of what's inside the house is classified," Double D suddenly, and very bluntly, stated.

"Co-coco?" asked Coco, who seemed skeptical.

"You mean like an alien or something?" asked Wilt.

"In a way…yes," said Abby.

"There are monster aliens inside the house?!" asked Eduardo. "_Ay carumba…_"

"It's okay, Eduardo," said Abby. "We're going to make it so those monster aliens won't bother you or anyone else here ever again. But you need to move so we can get inside."

"So…the monsters won't get me?" asked Eduardo.

"Nope," said Abby. "All you have to do is shut the door when we get in, and keep it shut until we come back."

Eduardo looked at Frankie.

"They're our only choice at this point, Ed," she said. "I think we can trust them."

Eduardo looked back at Abby. "And…you'll bring back _Senor _Mac and _Azul_?"

"Safe and sound," Abby assured.

"Well…okay…" said Eduardo, stepping away from the door.

Abby walked up to the house's doors, followed by Ed and Double D.

"Just wait out here for us," said Abby. "We'll be out in no time."

With that, Abby flung the door open, and she, Double D (slightly begrudgingly), and Ed ran inside the house. Eduardo slammed the door shut behind them.

This caused the large group of imaginary friends to lean closer to the many windows on the mansion. However, this was a lost cause; at this point, the entire interior of the house is pitch black.

"Man, what is going on around here…?" Wilt asked. "Oh! Frankie, you forgot to tell them that there's someone else stuck inside the house."

At this, Frankie smirked. "No I didn't," she replied.

Wilt was mildly shocked by this. "Frankie…I'm sorry, but even if she _is _really annoying and bossy, surely you don't want her to be stuck in…well, this!" Wilt motioned to the black-filled windows.

Frankie frowned. "Well…I guess not," she said. "But even so…" She sighed. "Well, let's at least hope they can find Mac and Bloo…"


	8. Foster's Home 2

Chapter 3: Foster's Home for Imaginary Friends, part 2

"Wow, the friends weren't kidding!" said Abby. "There must be a lot of Heartless roaming this place."

Abby, Ed, and Double D were currently inside the foyer of the massive house. It was just as dark and smoky on the inside as it looked through the windows.

"Ohh…we shouldn't even be in here!" said Double D. "It's bad enough you said we'd help them, Abby!"

"Oh, right," said Ed. "Because muddling is against the rules, right Double D?"

"_Meddling_, Ed," Double D replied through clenched teeth.

"But…there are innocent people in this house!" Abby protested. "It would be wrong not to help them!"

"Agree to that do I," said Ed. "I think Abby knows what she's doing, Double D."

The wizard sighed; it was obvious that he wasn't about to win this argument at the moment.

"Okay, fine," he said. "But…how in the world do we find them? This place is even bigger than it looks from the outside…if that's even possible!"

Suddenly, Abby snapped to attention. She turned to a large staircase going up, which was barely visible in the darkness.

"What is it, Abby?" asked Ed.

"I feel them…" said Abby. "There are two people in one of the rooms upstairs!"

"Well, at least we have one thing going for us…" said Double D.

"Uh…guys?" asked Ed.

"What is it, Ed?" asked Double D.

"The Heartless are here."

Abby and Double D started. Ed was right; the group was suddenly surrounded by Heartless!

"Hurry!" said Abby, slashing through the Heartless in her path. "We have to get to that room!"

Abby ran up the stairs, followed by Double D and Ed.

---

"Abby, how do you know that Mac and Bloo are in a particular room in this house?" Double D asked as the trio fought through the Heartless bombardment.

"Well, I can't really explain it," Abby said as she swung her Keyblade. "I guess you could say I can detect a person's…aura."

"Like a snake?" asked Ed.

Abby didn't have an answer to that.

As the trio headed deeper and deeper into the house, they couldn't help but notice that the Heartless numbers seemed to be getting bigger. The many hallways in the house were crawling with them.

"Man, there's no end to this!" said Abby.

"There must be a boss controlling all the Heartless in the house," Double D reasoned. "Like the one in Traverse Town."

"But what about Mac and Bloo?" asked Ed.

Suddenly, Abby screeched to a halt in front of a plain-looking door.

"Quick! In here!" she said, grabbing the doorknob and rushing into the room.

"What?!" asked Double D, almost running past the door.

"I got a soaker, guys!" Ed exclaimed. However, as he said this, he ended up crashing into Double D. This caused them both to tumble into the room Abby pointed out. The psychic girl slammed the door behind them.

Double D untangled himself from Ed, and looked around the room. It was pretty bare, save for one set of bunk beds in one corner, and a nest in another. There was also another door in the room, presumably a closet.

"Hmm…" said Double D. "The Heartless must not have gotten into this room yet."

"Why are we in here, Abby?" asked Ed.

"The two auras I felt…they're in this room," said Abby.

"Where?" asked Double D.

"Um…excuse me…"

Abby, Double D, and Ed turned toward the closet. A little boy with brown hair and a red shirt was peeking out from inside the closet.

"Did you come to help us?" asked the boy.

Abby kneeled down so she was closer to the boy. "You must be Mac," she said. "Don't worry; we'll have you out of here in no time."

"Hold on a minute!"

Suddenly, the closet door burst open, revealing the rest of Mac, and what could only be described as a light blue, living blanket with a face; the trio presumed that this was Bloo.

"Are you telling me _these _guys are capable of getting rid of…whatever those things are out there?" Bloo asked. "You guys don't look like heroes to me."

"Really?" asked Double D, slightly annoyed. "Well, then maybe we should just leave you here then?"

"Bloo, stop it!" said Mac. "We don't have a choice right now. I'm sure these people know what they're doing if they've made it this far."

"Oh, _please_," said Bloo. "Real heroes have super-powers and cool weapons. I don't suppose you have any of those?"

"Well…there's this," said Abby, holding out the Keyblade.

However, Bloo did not look impressed. "A giant key?" he asked.

"All right…" said Abby. "I'm also psychic, if that means anything."

"Really?" asked Bloo. "Prove it."

"Well…" Abby paused. "Let's hope Frankie doesn't find out about those missing cookies from last Tuesday, huh Bloo?"

Bloo's jaw dropped.

"I knew it!" said Mac. "_Now _do you believe them?"

"Oh…fine!" said Bloo. "Just don't tell anyone about that cookie thing…"

"So, what exactly happened in here?" asked Double D.

"Not sure," said Mac. "I was just hanging out with Bloo, since he can't go outside on Adopt-a-Thought Saturday, and the next thing we knew, the lights went out and those creatures were running loose through the house."

"I see…" said Abby. "Do you have any idea where they're all coming from?"

"Well, they seemed to be coming from upstairs," said Mac. "And now that I think of it, there might be someone else up there…"

"Shh!" said Bloo. "Don't tell them about _her_! They can have her!"

"Who's 'her'?" asked Ed.

"Well…" said Mac. "Her name is Duchess. She's another imaginary friend, and she…kind of has a bad attitude. I'm pretty sure I heard her in the hallways; something about something trying to steal her heart…whatever that means."

Abby, Double D, and Ed started at this.

"So, is Duchess' room upstairs?" asked Abby.

"Yeah, it should be," said Mac.

"Are you telling us you actually wanna save _Duchess_?" asked Bloo. "Trust me, you'll regret it!"

"Either way, we need to get upstairs," said Double D. "Whatever's causing the house to be infested is probably up there."

"Well, if you keep going up the stairs, you should get to Duchess' room," said Mac. "What do you want us to do?"

"Just stay in here," said Abby. "We'll be back to get you guys after we clear out the house!"

"What?" asked Bloo. "But that's no fun!"

"So you're saying you'd rather come with us?" asked Double D.

Bloo opened his mouth to speak, but no words came out.

"Plus, Abby's got that dirt on Bloo!" said Ed.

"Don't worry," said Mac. "We're staying right here. _Right_, Bloo?"

"Oh…whatever!" said Bloo. "Just take care of whatever's out there. I can barely keep track of this house as it is…"

"You got it!" said Abby. "Be right back!"

With that, Abby, Ed, and Double D ran out of the room, leaving Mac and Bloo behind.

---

"So if we defeat the boss in this house, it'll be back to normal again?" Abby asked as the trio continued up through the house, fighting off Heartless.

"Well, yes and no," said Double D. "Things will be back to normal here, yes. But the Heartless won't be completely gone for good."

"For the creatures are being controlled by an even higher being with the majesty of pure evil!" said Ed.

"Well, "majesty" probably isn't the best word," said Double D, "but other than that, Ed is right. Someone else is manipulating all the Heartless. Something evil…"

At this point, the trio had arrived to one large hallway. The only door visible was a large, white, double-door.

"I think this is it," said Abby.

"Be ready for anything," said Double D. "For all we know, another one of those giant shadows could be in there."

"Yeah, right!" said Ed.

"Huh?" asked Abby.

"Well, all the lights are off!" said Ed. "You can't have a shadow without a light, right?"

This surprised Abby and Double D.

"That's quite a statement, Ed…" said Double D.

"AUGH! GET AWAY FROM ME, YOU FOUL CREATURE! YOU MAY NOT HAVE MY PERFECT HEART!"

The trio jumped at the sudden loud voice.

"That must be Duchess," said Abby.

"I'm starting to understand what Bloo meant…" said Double D.

"We have no choice," said Abby. "Get ready!"

With that, Abby flung the doors open, and the three rushed inside.

What they saw was quite a sight. There was a large creature, obviously a Heartless, colored red, black, and white, and holding two flaming torches. It was going after someone…that someone appeared to be an imaginary friend who had just stepped out of an abstract painting.

"Strangers in my parlor?!" Duchess screeched when she saw the trio. "GET OUT! Can't you see I'm busy?!"

Abby sweat dropped. "Guys, I don't think we should expect any thank-yous from this," she said.

"You don't have to tell me twice," said Double D.

"HIT 'EM HARD!" said Ed.

Abby, Ed, and Double D charged at the large Heartless, but this one was exceptionally harder. The trio was barely able to dodge the barrage of fireballs being thrown at them.

During one dodge, Abby lost her footing and fell. As she fell, her Keyblade smacked against an old steamer trunk, opening it.

"BE CAREFUL!" said Duchess. "That trunk-like me-is one-of-a-kind!"

"Sheesh…how about a _little_ appreciation…" Abby began to say, when she suddenly realized something: the Keyblade's tip was glowing blue! "What…"

"Oh my," said Double D. "Abby!" he called to his partner. "That's a Blizzard spell! You can use magic!"

"Magic?" asked Abby.

"Try aiming for the Heartless!" Double D instructed.

So Abby did. She began shooting ice balls at the Heartless from her Keyblade. However, her shots were small and random; hardly any of them hit.

"Wha…I'm out of energy!" Abby suddenly realized.

"_Cure!_" said Double D. Abby suddenly felt revitalized. "Abby, you need to concentrate! Send all your power into the tip of the Keyblade, and make the enemy freeze!"

"You can do it, Abby!" said Ed.

Abby nodded in understanding. She stood up, took a deep breath, and aimed her Keyblade at the Heartless. '_Come on, please work!_' she thought. '_The enemy will…_'

"_FREEZE!" _

A giant ice ball shot out of the Keyblade, hitting the Heartless dead-on. The entire body was engulfed in ice.

"Ooh…" said Ed.

Even Duchess was speechless.

The Heartless remained motionless for a second; then, without warning, the entire body crumbled into little pieces. A red, translucent heart rose from the remains, then disappeared.

"You did it, Abby!" Ed exclaimed as he and Double D hugged their friend.

Duchess stepped out from her hiding place. "Well…" she said, looking around her room. "I suppose you hooligans didn't do _too _much damage, so I suppose it's only fair that you are honored with my thanks."

"You're welcome!" said Ed.

"Yes," said Duchess. "Now then…"

---

The next thing Abby, Ed, and Double D knew, they had landed in a heap right outside Duchess' room.

"And stay out!" Duchess exclaimed, slamming the door shut.

"_Well_…" said Double D, picking himself up.

"Somebody got up on the wrong side of the bed," said Ed.

Double D looked around. Other than the fact that the lights were still off, there wasn't a Heartless in sight. "Well, at least things seem to be under control now."

"That's right!" said Abby. "Let's go get Mac and Bloo and tell them the good news!"

Abby, Double D, and Ed ran all the way back to the room where Mac and Bloo were. They were very excited.

"Mac! Bloo!" Abby exclaimed, bursting into the room. "We got rid of the…"

But the trio stopped dead in their tracks at the sight they saw. Bloo was standing in the middle of the room, looking completely shell-shocked. Mac was nowhere to be seen.

"Bloo?!" asked Abby, running up to the blue blob. "What happened? Where's Mac?!"

Bloo shook his head a few times, to refocus, then started talking. "I don't know!" he said. "A little after you left, the whole room filled up with that black smoke, and when it cleared, Mac was gone!"

"Do you think maybe…?" Ed began to ask.

"Ed!" Double D warned. "Now now, let's not assume the worst here. I'm sure there's a logical explanation for this…"

"Either way, we'd better get back outside and tell everyone you're okay," Abby said to Bloo.

---

"Oh man, what am I going to do?" asked Bloo as he and the trio reentered the foyer. "I've never been without Mac. Never! I'll get adopted if he doesn't come back!"

"Calm down, Bloo!" said Double D. "Let's try to keep things in perspective."

Suddenly, something else caught Abby's eye. Something appeared to be…_glowing _on the molding above the main door!

"What…? A keyhole?" Abby asked, squinting so she could see the shape. At this point, the glowing had gotten the attention of the others, too.

Then, as if it had a mind of its own, the Keyblade jerked up until it was pointing right at the keyhole shape. A small beam shot at the keyhole, then a soft clicking noise was heard. Then, the glowing faded, and the house's lights suddenly came back on.

"Uh…what the heck was that?" asked Bloo.

"It sounded like something closing," said Ed.

"Hey, look!" said Double D. He picked up something off the floor. "This is a Gummi Piece…but it's not like one I've ever seen. I'll hang onto it."

Just then, the door opened, just a little.

"You…you okay?" Eduardo's timid voice could be heard asking. "All the monsters are gone now?

"Yep!" said Ed. "Got rid of 'em all!"

With that, the main doors burst open. A flood of imaginary friends came flooding in.

"Yes, yes," said Bloo as the imaginary friends came in. "I know you were all greatly worried about me, but as you can see, I am completely…"

But when Bloo came to attention again, he realized that the only people left in the foyer besides himself and the trio were Frankie, Wilt, Coco, and Eduardo.

"Hey!" Bloo exclaimed.

"Oh, thank goodness!" said Frankie. "It's like nothing even happened in here!"

"_Azul_, you…you okay?" asked Eduardo.

"Why, of course," said Bloo, suddenly getting cocky again. "I'll admit, taking out those monsters wasn't easy, but…"

"Bloo…" Double D interrupted. Bloo turned to the trio; Double D was tapping his head, while Ed was pointing at Abby.

Bloo stated. "Uh…I mean…these guys took care of the monsters," he said. "And I'm not just admitting that because they've got something on me! It's not like that at all!" He then gave a sheepish smile.

Coco gave a suspicious look. "Coco?" she asked.

"Yep!" said Ed.

"Hey…I'm sorry, but…where's Mac?" Wilt suddenly spoke up.

Abby, Ed, Double D, and Bloo froze.

"Well…" said Abby. "We did find Mac, but then he kinda…disappeared on us."

"Oh…" said Frankie. "Well…that's not necessarily a bad thing. Maybe he just found a way to escape and went home!"

"Yes!" said Double D. "That's what we were thinking! I'm sure he'll turn up."

"Well, anyway…" said Frankie. "Listen, thanks so much for your help. If there's anything we can do for you…"

"That's okay," said Abby. "Just the fact that we've helped is enough for us."

"It is?" asked Ed.

"_Yes_, it is," said Double D.

"Oh…" said Frankie. "Well, if you ever find the need for an imaginary friend, you know who to call!"

"We'll keep that in mind," said Abby. She, Double D, and Ed made their way toward the door. Both groups waved goodbye to each other as the trio made it through the exit.

As soon as the trio knew they were alone, they all seemed to deflate.

"Are you guys thinking what I'm thinking?" asked Abby.

"I know we're supposed to think positive…" said Double D. "But there's still that possibility…"

"So Mac really was taken by the Heartless?!" asked Ed.

"There's no telling at this point," said Abby. "I guess all we can do now is make sure nothing else happens."

"That's the only thing we can do," Double D agreed. "So I say we get back to the Gummi Ship, pronto! Maybe then, I can find out what this Gummi Piece is for…"

"Right!" said Abby and Ed.

With that, the trio headed back to their ship.

---

What they didn't know was that, once again, they were being spied on.

"Darn it! I was sure that plan would work."

"Well, it's too late to do anymore damage to that area."

"But the girl is a problem. She's already found one of the keyholes. I say we finish this as quickly as possible…"

"There's no need to rush," Aku interrupted the discussion at the table. "Even if they do find the other keyholes, it will take them ages to do it. And besides…the pieces are already falling into place…in our favor!"

As he said this, Aku looked behind him. Sprawled out on the ground was an unconscious little boy, with brown hair and a red shirt.


	9. Jump City 1

Chapter 4: Jump City, Part 1

As the Gummi Ship sailed away from the world containing Foster's Home for Imaginary Friends, Abby gave a forlorn glance at the world. Sure, she, Double D, and Ed had saved that world…but it just didn't feel like a victory.

"We couldn't find anyone…" Abby said out loud. "We lost Mac…there was no king…not even Mick or Galleria…"

Images of her two best friends flashed through Abby's mind. '_Galleria…Mick…where are you?!_'

Suddenly, Abby felt the sides of her face being forcefully pulled into a smile.

"Don't be sad, Abby!" said Ed, the face-puller. "We'll find your friends."

"That's right," said Double D, who was concentrating on piloting the ship. "There are still plenty of worlds for us to search. We're bound to find them sooner or later!"

"So wipe that frown off your face, missy!" said Ed.

Abby allowed herself to give a small, but genuine, smile. "All right," she said. "I'm sorry."

Abby then remembered something else: she was holding something in her hands. She looked down at the new friendship bracelet she had just finished; it was made of red, dark blue, purple, green, and light blue beads, complete with one large bead shaped like the letter T. Abby wasn't quite sure why she had made it, but…she just felt that she would need it soon. She put the bracelet into the pouch attached to her belt.

"Oh! Perfect timing!" said Double D. "We've just arrived to our next destination."

Ed and Abby also looked. It was another world, but this time it had what looked like a large city on top of it.

---

"Wow!" said Abby. "This place is huge!"

The trio was walking through the giant city. Left and right, buildings towered over them.

"You think the cars will go 'beep beep!' if we bump into them?" asked Ed.

"Ed, I highly doubt this is the time to test that theory," said Double D. "According to the research I did, this world is known as Jump City."

"Jump City?" asked Ed. "Do the people use pogo sticks or something?"

"Somehow, I doubt it," said Double D.

Suddenly, something that felt like a piece of paper smacked the back of Abby's head. She reached behind her and grabbed hold of what looked like another flyer.

"What's that?" asked Ed.

Abby skimmed over the flyer. "Hey, there's a tournament today!" she said. "It's being held at the local sports arena…and it's being hosted by a group called the Teen Titans." Abby suddenly began running in another direction. "Let's check it out!"

"Abby, we don't have time for that!" Double D called to his friend. But it was no use; Abby already had her mind made up. "Oh, so stubborn…" the wizard muttered as he ran after Abby.

"Will they have pogo sticks at the tournament?" Ed asked, following his friends.

What the three didn't know was that Abby's finding the flyer was no coincidence. Nearby, a mysterious-looking man wearing a mask that was half-orange and half-black slunk back behind a building…

---

"Goodness…" said Double D.

He had every right to be impressed. The Jump City sports arena was huge!

"Cool!" said Ed.

"This is definitely the place to hold a tournament," said Double D.

"Let's hurry up before they stop accepting entries!" said Abby, heading toward the entrance.

Ed happily followed, while Double D gave an annoyed sigh, but still followed them both.

Abby, Double D, and Ed entered the massive arena, and walked past the ticket booths. A few way's back, the trio saw a strange sight. A boy with green skin, wearing a purple and black jumpsuit, and a girl with pale, grayish skin wearing a black leotard and a dark blue cape, were working with a stack of large crates. Well, the green-skinned boy was anyway.

"A little help here please?" the boy asked as he struggled to carry one crate into a storage area.

"Just a minute," said the girl. "I have to get these banners untangled."

Abby looked at the crates. Then, she concentrated on them. A few seconds later, they were floating in the air. Abby's gaze skimmed back toward the storage area; the crates followed through the air. When they were well in the storage room, Abby tilted her head down, gently setting the rest of the crates down in the back room.

The boy noticed this. "Wow, thanks Raven," he said to the girl.

The girl, Raven, gave a confused look to the boy. "Beast Boy, I didn't do anything."

Beast Boy and Raven then noticed Abby, Ed, and Double D. The knight and the wizard were fawning over Abby's telekinesis.

"Can you teach me how to do that, Abby?" asked Ed.

"I think you have to be born with those type of abilities, Ed," said Double D.

"Aww…" said Ed.

"Wait…_you _did that?" Beast Boy asked Abby.

"Well…yeah," said Abby. "Was I not supposed to?"

"Are you kidding?" said Beast Boy. "You just saved me a lot of trouble! Thanks!"

"Oh, aren't we lucky," said Raven. She turned back to the trio. "How'd you guys even get back here? Only tournament participants are allowed in this area."

"Well, we didn't exactly have any trouble getting past the ticket booth," said Double D.

"What?" asked Beast Boy. "But Cyborg should be there…oh," he said, after seeing that the ticket booth area was bare. "I guess he, Starfire, and Robin aren't back yet."

"Listen," said Abby. "Is it too late to enter the tournament?"

"_Abby_…" Double D warned.

"Do you have a tournament pass?" asked Raven.

Abby did not have an answer. She turned to Ed and Double D; the wizard's face remained blank, while the knight just shrugged.

"Uh…no?" Abby ended up using a questioning tone.

"Can't enter the tournament without a tournament pass," said Beast Boy. "Sorry!"

"Oh…" said Abby, visibly disappointed.

"But we can enter if we find a pass, right?" asked Ed.

"Yes…" said Raven. "But those passes were only given to heroes."

"Ooh! Ooh! We can do that!" said Ed. "Abby is a hero chosen by the Keyblade."

"And we're heroes, too," added Double D.

"Well…" said Beast Boy, taking a good look at the trio. "I guess you _kind of _look like heroes…but you still can't get in without a pass."

Realizing that they weren't going to win this discussion, the trio began to make their way back to the entrance. Even Double D was a little dejected.

"Aww…" said Ed. "I wanted to be in the tournament…"

"What did he mean we 'kind of' look like heroes?" said Double D. "I resent that…very much."

"I know…" said Abby. With a flick of her hand, she summoned the Keyblade. "I wouldn't have minded letting other people see this in action…"

She then gave the Keyblade a swing to accent her point. However, when she did, she accidently smacked it against a smaller crate that happened to be there.

"Abby!" said Double D.

"Oops," said Abby, lifting the Keyblade back up. However, there was something weird: the end of the Keyblade was sparking with electricity!

"I think your personality slipped into the Keyblade, Abby!" said Ed.

Double D got the joke. "Ha ha ha," he said. "I'm not sure, but I think Abby just learned how to use Thunder magic."

"Wow," said Abby as the electricity died down. The three continued outside. "But still…how are we supposed to find a tournament pass?"

"Oh, I don't know," said Double D. At this point, the group was outside again. "I mean, it's not like a tournament pass will just all of a sudden land in Abby's hand…"

"Uh, Double D?" asked Ed.

"What is it, Ed?" asked Double D.

"A tournament pass just all of a sudden landed in Abby's hand."

"What?!"

Double D looked. Abby was, indeed, holding a tournament pass.

"Well…we don't know if that's legitimate or not!" said Double D.

"Well…" said Abby, getting a close look at the pass. "I'm pretty sure this isn't fake…but this is very convenient."

'_Almost a little _too _convenient…_' Abby continued in her head. Right at that moment, she sensed another presence. She turned around…just in time to see a shady-looking character duck behind a building.

"Abby, what's wrong?" asked Ed.

"Nothing," said Abby. "Somehow, I just get the feeling that this is going to be an interesting tournament."

---

"WHOA!" said Beast Boy, eyeing the pass in Abby's hand. "Where'd that come from?"

"It ran into us," said Ed.

"Can we enter the games now?" asked Abby.

"Well, you _do _have a pass…" said Beast Boy. "I guess we can start you in the preliminaries."

"Just come with us so you can get ready," said Raven.

With that, Beast Boy and Raven led the trio deeper into the arena. As they walked, two other people walked by them, in the opposite direction. They caught Abby's eye.

They were both women. One was very tall, with short sandy blonde hair and dark blue-green eyes; she looked like she could easily pass off as a man. The other woman was shorter, with shoulder length aqua-green hair and green eyes.

But that wasn't what caught Abby's eye. These two women were wearing sailor uniforms that were similar to Sailor Moon and the other senshi's! The taller woman's uniform was golden yellow and dark blue; the other woman's was dark green and dark blue.

"That's another team participating in the tournament," said Beast Boy. "They call themselves Sailor Uranus and Sailor Neptune."

"They're first-time participants in the tournament," Raven added. "In fact, now that I think of it…we've been getting a lot of first-time unknown participants. I wonder how they're getting their passes…?"

---

Meanwhile, as Abby, Double D, and Ed were talking with Raven and Beast Boy, Sailor Uranus and Sailor Neptune exited the arena, and straight toward a flight of stairs that led them underground, into the subway system. They got to the bottom of the stairs, only to find a mysterious man wearing a black and silver suit, along with a mask that was half-orange, half-black, waiting for them.

"Nice to see you again, ladies," said the man, in a smooth, deep voice. "I have just ensured that the wielder of the Keyblade has a place in the tournament. I will leave it to you two to take care of her."

Sailor Uranus, the senshi with blonde hair, smirked. "Let me get this straight," she said. "The mighty Slade can't handle one little girl by himself?"

"We already made our deal clear," said Sailor Neptune, the senshi with aqua-green hair. "We agreed to…"

"Yes, yes, I know," said Slade. "We agreed that you only had to terminate the Teen Titans in this tournament. But in order to get to _them_, you have to get rid of the girl first. This isn't going to be a problem, is it?"

Neither Uranus nor Neptune responded to this. Instead, they both turned and headed up the stairs, back to the arena.

"Hmm…" said Slade, as soon as he knew he was alone. "Not exactly the most flexible soldiers in the world…but still…" Slade's visible eye (on the orange side of his mask) narrowed. "It's hard to find warriors who are that gullible these days."


	10. Jump City 2

Chapter 4: Jump City, part 2

Abby was still having a hard time figuring out how she, Double D, and Ed had gotten to where they were. The trio had been doing just fine in the tournament. They couldn't help but notice that there were abundant amounts of Heartless participating in the tournament as well. Double D was also quick to remind them that they also had to find the keyhole in Jump City.

Beast Boy and Raven had warned them to be careful when facing their next opponent. Abby had promised they would, but…she honestly had no idea how powerful Sailor Uranus and Sailor Neptune would be.

That's probably why Sailor Uranus was currently holding her up by the collar, while Sailor Neptune was making sure the exhausted Ed and Double D wouldn't make any sudden moves.

"Looks like they're no match for us, Neptune," Sailor Uranus smirked.

"But wanting to take out these kids…" said Sailor Neptune. "Slade is up to something."

Meanwhile, Beast Boy and Raven were watching from the sidelines.

"Oh man…" said Beast Boy.

"This is getting dangerous," said Raven. "We might have to call a draw."

Meanwhile, Sailor Uranus was noticing the Keyblade Abby was clutching in her right hand. "What kind of weapon is _that_?" she asked. "Looks more like a toy…"

But suddenly, the fight was interrupted by a low rumbling…like someone was stomping toward the fighting area.

"Do you hear something?" asked Double D.

Then, Ed saw what was making the noise. "Uh oh!" he said.

Then, everyone else saw what it was. A giant monster made of stone was towering over the group.

"What is that?!" asked Double D.

Beast Boy and Raven were the most shocked.

"What's Cinderblock doing here?!" asked Beast Boy.

At that moment, Cinderblock unexpectedly swung a punch that was aimed straight at Sailor Neptune.

"Michiru!" Sailor Uranus exclaimed, dropping Abby and running straight to her comrade. She jumped in front of Sailor Neptune just in time; both senshi took the force of the attack.

"This is not good…" said Double D, as he, Abby, and Ed struggled to stand.

The trio braced themselves for another blow…but none came.

When the dust cleared, the trio saw that three new people were standing in the fighting ring, between them and Cinderblock.

One of them was a tall, thin girl wearing a purple outfit; her hands and eyes were glowing green. The second one was a dark-skinned boy who was outfitted with high-tech parts on most of his body. The last one was a boy wearing a mask over his eyes, with spiky black hair and wearing a red, yellow, green, and black outfit.

Abby remembered that earlier, Beast Boy and Raven had told her that they were part of a group called the Teen Titans. Based on appearance, Abby assumed that these were the three other members of the Titans: Starfire, Cyborg, and Robin.

"Guys!" said Beast Boy as he and Raven headed toward the fighting area.

"Beast Boy, get them out of here!" Robin called to his comrade.

"Come on!" Beast Boy called to Abby and her group. The three reluctantly followed the green-skinned boy while Raven joined the other Titans.

---

Soon, Abby, Ed, and Double D found themselves panting for breath in the same area where they first met Beast Boy and Raven.

"A beast sent from the molten center of the world has been summoned to put an end to the tournament!" Ed exclaimed.

Beast Boy gave Ed a confused look. "Uh, not quite," he said. "That was Cinderblock. He's one of Slade's lackeys. But it's weird…we haven't heard anything from Slade for a while now…" Suddenly, a banging noise was heard, as if someone had been thrown against the wall of the arena. "Oh, man! Listen, uh…I'm sorry, but I gotta go help! Just…just stay here, okay?" With that, Beast Boy ran back in the arena.

Abby, Double D, and Ed stared at the entrance to the fighting area for a few seconds, before Abby's stance grew straight.

"I'm going back in there," she said.

"What?" asked Double D.

"This isn't any different from what we've already faced," said Abby. I'll be all right." She began to walk back to the fighting area.

"Oh, why must she always play the hero?" Double D muttered. "Abby, wait! We're coming with you!" He ran after Abby.

"Defeat the rock monster!" said Ed, following his friends.

---

Meanwhile, the Teen Titans were obviously having some trouble with Cinderblock (sometime before, Sailor Uranus and Sailor Neptune had both stumbled off the area).

"We'll take it from here!" Abby called to the Titans. Ed and Double D were not too far behind.

"Hey, be careful!" Robin called.

However, the other Titans were already falling back, and Robin hesitantly went with them.

This left Abby, Ed, and Double D to face Cinderblock alone.

"Any suggestions?" asked Double D.

"I think a full-frontal attack is our best bet," said Abby. "On three, okay?"

"Yep!" said Ed, readying his shield.

"One…two…THREE!"

"PREPARE TO MEET YOUR MAKER!" Ed yelled as the trio jumped, aiming their weapons right at Cinderblock's head.

It was a direct hit. The Keyblade, Double D's staff, and Ed's shield smacked Cinderblock square in the face.

The trio landed back on their feet, waiting for the next move.

"Be careful…" warned Abby.

However, the next move Cinderblock made was unexpected. He just stood still, making no move to attack, and then…he toppled over backwards, landing hard on his back.

This move earned three dropped jaws from the trio.

---

"Oh…" Starfire was gazing at the entrance to the fighting area. "I feel that we have made the wrong decision. Should we not go back in and help them?"

"Eh, we shouldn't be that worried," said Beast Boy. "Raven and I have been watching them throughout the whole tournament. They're tougher than they look."

"I wasn't sure about them at first…" said Raven. "But they're deceiving. They can be powerful when they get into it."

"And don't forget, we had already worn Cinderblock down by the time they got out there," Cyborg added.

"Let's just hope they're not too disappointed," said Robin.

"WE DID IT!"

All five Titans turned toward the sound of Abby's excited voice, and saw the psychic girl and her two companions coming back in from the battling area.

"We knocked out Cinderblock with a single blow!" Abby said, obviously having no idea what really happened. "It was great!"

"Somehow, I don't think that was the case…" said Double D, who was skeptical.

"Well, at least he can't damage the tournament anymore," said Ed.

"I guess we should thank you guys," said Robin. "So…thanks."

Just then, Cyborg noticed something else. "Uh…BB?"

Everyone turned to the storage room. The doors were still wide open.

"Oh…" said Beast Boy. "Guess I forgot about that."

"We'll do it!" said Ed, walking toward the door. Abby and Double D shrugged, and then walked over to help.

With all three of them working with the two large doors, they managed to get the storage room secure and shut. It wasn't until the doors were closed that they saw something that caught their eye.

On the storage room doors was the same keyhole shape they saw at Foster's.

The next thing they knew, another beam was shooting out of the Keyblade, right at the keyhole. Once again, the keyhole seemed to "shut" with an audible clicking sound.

This wasn't new to Abby, Double D, or Ed, but it was new to the Titans.

"Uh, what just happened?" asked Beast Boy.

"That was…magic?" asked Starfire.

"I'm not sure," said Robin. "But either way…I can tell, there's something special about those three."

Abby turned back to the Titans. "I think it's time for us to go," she said.

"Oh…so soon?" asked Starfire. "Then…you simply must come back and visit us again!"

"I'll second that," said Cyborg. "And if you feel like it, maybe you guys can enter another tournament."

"Granted we can clean up the mess from this one," said Raven.

"Way to kill the mood," Beast Boy muttered.

But Abby just smiled, and then took something out of the pouch on her belt. "Don't worry," she said. "We'll be back. I'm sure of it."

She then held something out to Robin. It was the "T" friendship bracelet she had made earlier.

"What's this?" Robin asked, taking the bracelet.

"It's to show that we'll always be friends," Abby answered. "And to make sure we'll never forget about each other."

"Oh, what a wonderful idea!" said Starfire. "I might just have to make some of my own!"

Robin smiled. "Feel free to visit us anytime," he said.

"We'll remember that," said Abby.

---

"Well, they were nice," said Double D as the trio exited the arena.

"So you're gonna give friendship bracelets to all the new friends we meet, Abby?" Ed asked.

"Yep," Abby replied. "I want to make friends with as many people as I can. And just so I don't forget them…" Abby then took out another bracelet that was identical to the one she had given Robin. "I make one for myself, too!" She then unhooked her belt and looped the bracelet onto it.

It was then that the trio realized that they weren't alone. They looked up and saw Sailor Uranus and Sailor Neptune sitting on a bench a few feet away from them.

"Uh…are you guys all right?" Abby asked, taking a few steps forward.

Sailor Neptune gave a small smile. "We'll be okay," she said. "We've dealt with worse before."

Abby's expression suddenly turned calculating. "That guy…Slade…he's the reason we got to be in the tournament, right?" Sailor Neptune gave a sad nod. "So then…" Abby continued, "Why did you guys even agree to help him in the first place?"

Sailor Uranus stood up. "We have our own mission," she said. "Slade said he would help us. We tried to exploit the power of darkness…but it was just too much for us."

Sailor Neptune stood up, too. "I guess you could say we fell into darkness, and then we lost sight of our light."

Abby smiled. "You'll find it," she said. "I'm searching, too."

"For your light?" asked Sailor Uranus. Before she received an answer, she added, "Don't lose sight of it." She then walked over to Abby and put something in her hand. Abby looked at the object; it was another Gummi Block, similar to the one they found in Foster's.

"Say…" said Abby. "How about, sometime, we have a fair rematch? No dark powers involved?"

For the first time, Sailor Uranus gave a smile. "Thanks, but no thanks," she said. She began to walk away.

"I think we can safely say that our tournament days are over," Sailor Neptune added. She then began to follow Sailor Uranus.

With that, Abby, Ed, and Double D began to head back toward the Gummi Ship.

---

Meanwhile, back in the subway systems, Slade was not amused.

"It appears that it is harder to find good help than I originally thought," the villain said out loud to nobody in particular. "And, dare I say it, I seem to be running out of ideas for the time being." He visibly stiffened, but immediately forced himself to calm down. "No matter. I suppose I can kill two birds with one stone. If the Titans are able to train those three…then it will be that much easier to get rid of them all in one fell swoop."

Suddenly, Slade felt as if he was no longer alone. He whirled around, just in time to see an all-too-familiar black spirit emerging from the shadows.

Slade's visible eye narrowed. "I don't seem to recall inviting you to this event," he bluntly stated, whirling around so he was no longer facing the newcomer. "I do not require your assistance. Leave now before I have to use force."

Aku stared at Slade for a moment, before finally sighing. "If that is your wish, then by all means, fight to your heart's content."

Aku said nothing else. He simply slunk back into the shadows, the same way he came, leaving Slade alone once again.


	11. Traverse Town 2nd Visit 1, Mobius 1

**Author's Note**: Hey, everyone. Sorry about the recent lack of updates; I've been busy for a few weeks. But now I'm not, so…here's a new chapter for you all! Happy reading! ;)-**AMX

* * *

**

Chapter 5: Traverse Town, 2nd Visit part 1

"So what now?" Abby asked Ed and Double D.

"I say we head back to Traverse Town," said Double D. "I'm sure one of the Senshi will know something about these Gummi Blocks we keep finding."

"You mean the Gummi Blocks that don't look like any of the others we have?" asked Ed.

"Indeed," said Double D. "I thought I had at least some knowledge about everything that goes in a Gummi Ship. I guess I was wrong."

"Say it isn't so, Double D!" Ed exclaimed.

"Yes, Ed," said Double D. "I was actually wrong about something."

"Hey…Double D?" Abby asked.

"Yes, Abby?" asked Double D.

"Can I pilot?"

"What? Of course not."

"Come on! Just for a minute?"

"NO! Abby, you don't know anything about…HEY! Be careful with those controls! Those are sensitive!"

"London Bridge is falling!"

"Ed, you're not helping…!"

---

Meanwhile, back in Traverse Town, Sailor Chibi-Moon was exiting the Accessories Shop, having just finished talking to the four Guardian Senshi.

At that moment, a thoroughly charred Abby, Double D, and Ed decided to burst through the front gate. Double D was in the middle of lecturing Abby about why he was never letting her fly the Gummi Ship again.

Sailor Chibi-Moon ran up to Ed, who was watching the exchange with interest. "Hey, what happened?" she asked.

"Abby nearly crashed the Gummi Ship," said Ed. "Say, do you know what these Gummi Blocks are for?" He held one up for Sailor Chibi-Moon to see.

"Hmm…nope," she responded; at this point, Double D had stopped yelling at Abby, and they were both listening to the conversation. "But maybe Tuxedo Kamen knows. He and Sailor Moon are in the Underground Waterway. They've been training down there for a while now…"

---

After getting directions from Sailor Chibi-Moon, the trio found themselves in the underbelly of Traverse Town, wading through knee-deep water.

"Ugh…" said Abby. "I didn't know there was an underground passage in this town."

"Neither did we," said Double D. "Though I can understand why this area would be used for training. I highly doubt that any Heartless would bother coming down here…"

"But what about the mutant gators that lurk in the dark depths of the sewers?" asked Ed.

Double D sighed. "Ed, somehow, I think that's the least of our worries…"

Just then, the trio caught a glimpse of something yellow in front of them. When they got a little closer, they realized that the yellow thing was blonde hair.

It was Sailor Moon.

"So…you found the Keyhole?" the Senshi leader asked the trio without even looking at them.

"What?" Abby asked, momentarily confused. Then, she remembered the situations in both Foster's and Jump City. "Oh…yeah. The Keyblade locked them automatically."

"Good," said Tuxedo Kamen; the trio realized that he had been leaning against the wall, a few feet away from Sailor Moon.

"Every world that exists has a Keyhole," Sailor Moon further explained. "Each world's Keyhole also leads to that world's heart. I wouldn't be surprised if Traverse Town also had a Keyhole."

"What do you mean?" asked Abby.

"This was all in Galaxia's report," Tuxedo Kamen clarified.

"The Heartless enter through the Keyhole, and then…they seem to attack the world's core somehow," said Sailor Moon.

"When that happens…" Tuxedo Kamen paused. "…The world disappears altogether."

"_What?!_" Abby, Ed, and Double D asked.

"That's what makes the Keyblade so important," said Sailor Moon.

"Abby, you need to find the Keyholes on the other worlds and lock them," said Tuxedo Kamen. "You're the only one who can do it."

"Me?" Abby asked in disbelief. She summoned the Keyblade, and gazed at it. "Wow…I'm not sure…"

"Seeing those other worlds would probably be in your best interest," Sailor Moon reminded her.

"That's correct, Abby," said Double D.

"We still need to find your friends, Abby," said Ed. "And King Eddy!"

Images of Mick and Galleria flashed through Abby's mind. "I guess you're right…" she said. "Okay…I'll do it!"

"Yay!" said Ed.

"Oh, I almost forgot!" said Double D. He took out one of the strange Gummi Blocks. "We found these Gummi Blocks on the different worlds. You two wouldn't happen to know what they're for, do you?"

Neither Sailor Moon nor Tuxedo Kamen gave an answer.

"So is that a yes?" asked Ed.

"I've never seen anything like that before," Sailor Moon finally answered. "But I think Sailor Mercury has been doing research on Gummi Ships. You should ask her."

"Also…" Tuxedo Kamen took something out of his pocket. It was a red, dull rock. "I think you guys should take this with you. It might help you out."

"Okay," said Abby, taking the rock. "How does it work?"

Once again, there was no response.

---

"Maybe we should have just gone here in the first place," said Double D. "It would have saved us some running around."

The trio was currently heading back toward the Accessory Shop.

"But then we wouldn't have gotten that cool rock!" said Ed.

Abby gazed at the rock that she was still grasping in her hand. "I just wish we knew how it could help us," she said.

"Well, maybe the girls have an answer for that, too," said Double D.

By this time, the trio had made it to the shop's front door. They entered, and walked right up to the front counter; Sailor Mercury was behind it, her face buried inside an open book. Double D placed the two mystery Gummi Blocks on the counter, catching the blue-haired Senshi's attention.

"Oh?" Sailor Mercury put her book down. "Gummi Blocks?"

"Can you tell us what they're for?" asked Ed.

"Wait…" Sailor Jupiter, who was in the aisles restocking accessories, spoke up. "You mean you guys are flying a Gummi Ship and you don't even know about Navigation Gummis?"

Abby, Ed, and Double D's expressions all showed obvious sheepishness.

"Sheesh," said Sailor Mars, who was also restocking. "You do realize that Interspace isn't some type of large playground, right?"

"It's not like we have a choice," said Abby, who was slightly offended. "The Gummi Ship is the only way we can travel to other worlds."

"That's a good point," said Sailor Venus, who had just emerged from a back room. "It's a good thing Mercury's been reading all those books on Gummi Ships!"

Sailor Mercury smiled. "Basically, Navigation Gummis allow you to travel to even more worlds. If you want, I can install them into your ship for you."

"Cool!" said Ed.

"Oh please, do," said Double D.

"It's no problem at all!" said Sailor Venus. "But while you're here…you guys can do something for us!"

"Uh…okay," said Abby. "What is it?"

Sailor Venus pulled out a book, and handed it to Abby.

"_That _old thing?" Sailor Mars asked. "I'm surprised we were able to restore it at all."

"Oh, yeah!" said Sailor Jupiter. "It belongs to that guy living in the Third District. If you could deliver it for us, it would be a big help."

"We should have your ship ready by the time you get back," Sailor Mercury added.

"Okay, we'll do it," said Abby.

"The man lives in the Third District of the town," said Sailor Mercury. "Just look for a wooden door with a flame on it."

---

"What do you think, Abby?" asked Double D.

Abby stared at the door currently in front of them. It was a large, wooden door on a seemingly empty house, with a large red flame on the front of it. It perfectly matched Sailor Mercury's description.

"I'd say this is it," the psychic girl replied.

"So how do we get in?" asked Ed.

"I think I know how," said Double D. He pointed his Magician's Staff at the door. "_Fire!_" A burst of flame shot out of the top of Double D's staff, effectively getting rid of the wooden door.

"Cool," said Ed.

Abby said nothing, but kept this new Magic technique in mind for later.

Behind the wooden door was a cavern, which housed a seemingly empty house. There was a large hole in the side of the house, allowing the trio entry.

There was no light in the house, making it difficult to see anything inside. However, it wasn't what Abby saw that caught her attention; it was what she suddenly _heard_.

"There's just something about this musty old place…"

Abby whirled around. On the other end of the house was…Mick! He was just walking through the interior of the house!

"Doesn't this remind you of our secret place back home?" Mick continued.

"…Mick?" Abby asked quietly.

"Abby?" Ed asked, touching the psychic's shoulder.

Abby turned back to Ed and Double D; didn't they see Mick?! But…one look at their confused expressions confirmed her suspicions. They _didn't_ see Mick. She turned back toward her friend to get his attention, but found he was no longer there. Was it just her imagination?

"Hello there!"

Abby, Double D, and Ed all turned toward the new voice. A little boy wearing a blue, grey, and black outfit, a blue hat, and glasses was stepping out of the dark side of the house. There was someone else with him.

"Hmm…you three have arrived earlier than expected." The other person was an older man, wearing a gray pinstripe tuxedo and a top hat. He also had long, gray, curly hair, a monocle, and a large nose.

Abby was confused. "You…knew we were coming?" she asked.

"Are you a Heartless?" Ed suddenly asked.

The old man smirked. "Yes," he said. "Yes I am."

Abby, Ed, Double D, and surprisingly, the little kid, snapped to attention.

"Wh-what?!" asked the kid. "You're a Heartless, Doctor? Is that true?!"

Suddenly, the old man's smirk became an almost childlike smile.

"Just kidding, Kedo!"

The little boy, Kedo, looked crushed. Meanwhile, Abby, Ed, and Double D were just relieved.

"I should have known," said Double D. "He certainly doesn't look like a Heartless."

"Sorry, I'm afraid that was just a joke," said the old man. "My name is Dr. Riddles. I'm the marvelous doctor who knows everything! And this…" He paused to gesture toward Kedo, "…This is Kedo, my Mamodo partner."

"Your…what?" asked Double D.

"What's a Mamodo?' asked Ed.

"Oh, don't worry about that," said Dr. Riddles. "You'll find out more about that later. I've been traveling with Kedo for quite a while now. Sometimes it's nice to stay in one spot. Anyway, I know who you are. Your king has requested assistance from Kedo and myself."

"King Eddy?" asked Double D.

"Indeed," answered Dr. Riddles. He looked at the knight and the wizard. "You two must be Ed and Eddward." He turned to Abby. "And who might you be, young lady?"

"Uh…I'm Abby," the psychic answered.

"Ah yes, the Keyblade wielder," said Dr. Riddles. "Hang on a second." He walked over to a switch on the wall and flicked it on. Light bathed the inside of the house.

"What did the king ask you to do?" asked Ed.

"The king asked us to help you with your magic!" Kedo spoke up. "If you guys bring us any magical items, we can teach you how to use them."

That's when Dr. Riddles noticed the old book that Double D was holding. "Oh, you brought the book back to us," he said. "Actually, I'm not too sure about that book myself. It appears to be quite the mystery…quite odd, since I _do _know all. It was greatly damaged when Kedo and I found it, so we asked those nice young ladies as the Accessory Shop to fix it for us. I believe this book holds a great secret. Whenever you want to look at it, it will be right here."

While Dr. Riddles talked, he walked over and took the book from Double D. He placed it on a podium that was against the wall, beside the hole in the house.

It was then that Abby noticed something: there appeared to be a strange energy emanating from the book.

"Hmm…" she said. She suddenly turned to Double D. "Would you hold this for a moment?" she asked him, holding out the red stone.

"Oh…of course," said Double D, taking the stone.

"What are you doing, Abby?" asked Ed.

Abby walked up to the book so that she was standing in front of it. Suddenly, both the book and Abby began to glow with a bright light. When the light cleared, Abby was no longer there.

Double D's jaw dropped.

"Did the book just eat Abby?" asked Ed.

"Hmm…interesting," said Dr. Riddles. "I knew there was something special about that book."

Meanwhile, Kedo's attention was drawn to the red, dull rock in Double D's hand. "Hey, that's…"

Mobius, part 1

While all that was going on in the house, Abby found herself inside the pages of the book.

"Well…this is different," she said.

Abby noticed that on the pages of the book, there were two colored pictures of two different areas. One of the pictures was of a large, green meadow; the other was of what looked like a large workshop. Abby decided to enter the meadow first. As Abby approached the picture, there was another flash of light.

The next thing Abby knew, she was standing in the green meadow. She looked around. The meadow was _huge_. It looked like the perfect place for playing.

Suddenly, Abby was caught off-guard by…well, it looked like a large, blue blur, speeding past her.

Suddenly, the blue blur stopped, revealing…what looked like a blue hedgehog. He was wearing red and white running shoes, and looked like he came up to about Abby's waist. He appeared to be looking for somebody.

Abby took a few cautious steps forward. "Hello," she said. "Are you looking for something?"

"Huh?" The blue hedgehog turned around so he was facing Abby. "Oh. I don't think I've ever seen you before. But…yeah, I'm looking for something. Some_one_, actually. It's really strange…"

"Well…I can help you if you want," Abby offered.

"Really?" asked the hedgehog. "Well, I guess at this point, I could use all the help I can get." He nodded. "My name is Sonic the Hedgehog. I'm the world's fastest hedgehog!"

Abby smiled. "It's nice to meet you, Sonic," she said. "My name is Abby. So…who exactly are we looking for?"

"Abby, huh?" asked Sonic. "Well, actually it's not just one person. All my friends seem to be missing. I've searched every place I could, but they're just…gone. It's weird…"

"Well, maybe they're back by now," said Abby. "Have you double-checked anywhere?"

"Hmm…not yet," said Sonic. "I guess I could try looking by my tree again. You can see a lot of places from up there. Hey, I'll race ya there!"

Before Abby could give a response, Sonic was off like a rocket. Abby presumed that the tree was in the general direction that Sonic was going, so she followed the cloud trail the hedgehog left behind.

---

Abby was gasping for air by the time she caught up to Sonic. He was standing under a large tree on top of a hill.

"What took you so long?" Sonic asked.

"Sorry," Abby panted. "Running was never really my strong suit. Can you really see better from up here?"

Sonic looked around. He began to squint. "This whole thing just keeps getting weirder and weirder. First, everyone disappears, then it looks like areas of Mobius are disappearing!"

Abby looked, too. The meadow was still huge from their viewpoint, but anything beyond that…well, it was just a bunch of white. That's when Abby spotted something else. It was the same workshop from that other picture she saw.

"What about that building over there?" Abby asked, pointing at it.

Sonic looked. "Hey, that's Tails' workshop!" he exclaimed. "Maybe that's where he is." Then, without another word, he dashed off.

"Sonic!" Abby exclaimed, taking a few steps forward. But it was too late; Sonic was gone.

"I suppose you want to know what happens next."

Abby was surprised by the new voice. She looked up into the tree, and found another hedgehog. He looked a little like Sonic, but there were some big differences. This hedgehog was black, with red streaks in his quills. He also wore different shoes than Sonic.

"You look like Sonic…" said Abby. "But you're definitely not Sonic."

"At least _someone _knows the difference…" the hedgehog mumbled, just loud enough for Abby to hear. "My name is Shadow. I'm the world's Ultimate Life Form. That's all you need to know."

"Uh…okay," said Abby. "How exactly do I go on?"

"You need to go to the next page, of course," said Shadow. "But it looks like a lot of them are missing. That's why you can't see anything right now. It looks like the only other place to go is Tails' workshop. I'd go to that page next, if I were you."

Abby nodded in understanding. She began walking toward the workshop.

---

The workshop was much bigger up close. Abby looked around; there was no sign of Sonic (which was strange), or anybody else.

Suddenly, a noise that sounded like a large motor sounded above Abby's head. She looked up; a large, blue airplane sailed above her. It began to fly down lower, until it made a nice landing a few feet away, behind the workshop.

Abby ran up to the blue plane, only to see someone jumping out of the pilot's seat. It was a little orange fox with…_two tails_.

"Excuse me…" Abby said, taking a few steps forward. "Are you Tails?"

The fox turned around, and jumped when he saw Abby. "Y-yes…" he said nervously. "Who are you?"

"I'm Abby," said Abby. "I'm Sonic's friend."

"Sonic?" asked Tails. "You know where Sonic is?" He turned to the plane. "I just used the Tornado to see if I could find him, but I didn't see him. It was hard to see anything for some reason…"

"Tails!"

Suddenly, Sonic ran up to Tails and Abby.

"Oh, Abby," said Sonic. "You got here fast. And you found Tails, too! This is great!"

"Sonic!" said Tails. "Do you have any idea what's going on? It's like areas of Mobius have just…disappeared!"

"I've noticed it, too," said Sonic. "I can't figure it out."

"Well, maybe I have something in my workshop that can help us," Tails suggested. "Come on!" He ran up the stairs into his workshop.

"Are you coming, Abby?" Sonic asked.

"Actually, I think I should stay out here and look some more," said Abby.

"Okay," said Sonic. "Let us know if you find anything. See you later!" He followed Tails into the workshop.

Once Sonic and Tails were inside, Abby heard someone walking toward her. She turned around, and sure enough, there was Shadow.

"I take it I'm going to need to find more pages," said Abby.

"If we want everyone to come back, yes," said Shadow. "Not that I want them back, or anything…but this book needs to be fixed. If you find the missing pages, be sure to bring them back here."

"I'll remember that," said Abby. With that, she concentrated on leaving the book. Before she knew it, she was once again enveloped in a white light…


	12. Traverse Town 2nd Visit 2

Chapter 5: Traverse Town, 2nd Visit part 2

When the light cleared again, Abby found herself back in the house Dr. Riddles and Kedo were staying in. Double D and Ed were staring at her in wide-eyed wonder.

"My goodness…" said Double D.

"The book spit Abby back out!" said Ed. "What was it like, Abby?"

Abby smiled. "I liked it…but then it just sort of cut off," she said. She turned to Dr. Riddles. "I think there may be some pages missing."

"Ah, yes," said Dr. Riddles. "This is starting to make more sense." He glanced at the book that beheld Sonic and his friends. "There are some people who say that a book holds a world of its own. It would be sad if that world were incomplete."

"I understand," said Abby. "I'll find any pages I can."

"That's a good idea," said Dr. Riddles.

"Here, you'll need this, too!" said Kedo, holding something up.

Abby almost didn't recognize the red stone. It was no longer dull, but shined bright red. Not only that, Abby could now see that there was a large, white 1 encased in the stone.

"While you were in the book, Kedo told us all about Summon Gems," said Double D.

"Summon Gems?" asked Abby.

"Summon Gems are created when a world is engulfed by darkness," Kedo explained. "Usually when a world disappears, so do its inhabitants. However, if a person's spirit is strong enough, they don't disappear. Instead, they turn into Summon Gems." He held the stone out to Abby. "Only his spirit exists now, but if you call him, he'll help you in battle!"

Abby took the stone. "Will he be able to fully regain himself?" she asked.

"Once his world is restored, yes," said Dr. Riddles. "If you ever find any more of those, just bring them here to Kedo."

"We're happy to help you out any way we can!" said Kedo.

Abby smiled. "We'll keep that in mind," she said.

"Before you leave Traverse Town…" Dr. Riddles added, "you should probably speak with the Guardian Senshi again."

"They should probably be done with the Gummi Ship by now," said Double D. "Let's head back."

"Race ya there!" said Ed. He ran out of the house through the hole in the wall.

Double D immediately followed Ed, while Abby gave one last wave to Dr. Riddles and Kedo before following her comrades.

---

Soon, Abby, Ed, and Double D were back in front of the Accessories Shop. However, as Abby gazed at the door of the shop, a sudden feeling washed over her. For some reason, she just didn't feel like going in just yet.

"Hey…guys?" she quietly asked. Double D and Ed looked at her, confusion written on their faces. "Is it all right if…I stay out here for a little longer? Just to look around?"

"Well…I can't really say I approve of that," said Double D. "The Heartless could jump you if you're by yourself. Is something wrong, Abby?"

"I can't really explain it," she said. "But…I just have this weird feeling that I should stay out here."

"Hmm…" said Double D. "What do you think Ed?"

Ed thought for a moment. "I think if Abby can survive being eaten by a book, she can handle a few Heartless," he finally said.

Double D sighed. "I find it worrisome that those type of comments don't even faze me anymore," he said. He turned back to the psychic. "All right. I suppose Ed and I can handle talking to the girls. Just don't wander off too far."

"Don't worry," said Abby, summoning the Keyblade. "If I can handle everything we've seen so far, I can handle a few little Heartless, right?"

"For your sake, I hope so," said Double D.

With that, he and Ed entered the Accessory Shop.

Abby turned around and began wandering through the houses of Traverse Town, trying to figure out what this strange feeling meant. That's when she realized that things around the town seemed _too _peaceful…

At that same exact moment, Abby felt something lunging at her from behind. She whirled around, Keyblade in hand, and slashed at something. She just made out the remnants of a Heartless disappearing.

Before Abby knew it, she was surrounded by small Heartless.

"Well, no time like the present," said Abby, taking out the Summon Gem. She squeezed the stone. '_Please help!_' she thought. As she thought this, the Gem glowed red.

When the light cleared, a small boy was standing in front of Abby. He wore a red sweatshirt, tan shorts, hiking boots, and sunglasses. He had no hair on his head. He was also carrying what looked like a laser gun. But that wasn't what caught Abby's eye; the boy's entire body was _translucent_ ('_Probably from being just a spirit,_' Abby thought).

"Numbuh 1 of the Kids Next Door reporting for duty!" said the boy. Then, without another word, he began shooting at the Heartless with his laser gun.

With Numbuh 1's help, Abby was able to clear the area of the large army of Heartless. It wasn't until the Heartless were completely gone that Numbuh 1 seemed to get a good look at his surroundings.

"Those things…" he said. "They attacked the Treehouse, and my friends…" He looked down at his body. "Wh-what?! I'm see-through?" That's when he saw Abby. "And there's a _teenager _here? What is going on?!"

Abby sighed; Numbuh 1 was not happy. "Calm down," she said. "I know this is all really confusing. But…those things are called Heartless. They destroyed your world."

"Destroyed my world?" Numbuh 1 asked, confused. "So then…my home…all my friends…they're all _gone_? Why didn't that happen to me?"

"You have a strong spirit," said Abby. "It helped you survive. But until the Heartless are fully defeated, your world won't come back."

"Fully defeated, huh?" asked Numbuh 1. He paused to think, then sighed. "I could probably be kicked out of the Kids Next Door for helping a teenager, but…take me with you! I want to bring the Heartless down!"

Abby smiled. "I was hoping you'd say that," she said.

Then, just like that, Numbuh 1 began to glow red again. He transformed back into the red stone.

Abby picked the Summon Gem up. "Good to have you on the team, Numbuh 1," she said, putting the stone in her pouch. She began to head back to the Accessory Shop. "I hope Ed and Double D aren't worried about me…"

Suddenly, without warning, a wave of pain shot through Abby, landing with full force right into her head. Abby grabbed her head and couldn't hold back a cry of pain. She staggered forward for a few steps, before falling to the ground, no longer conscious.

---

Abby slowly blinked before opening her eyes. She immediately knew something wasn't right. She was no longer in one of the Traverse Town alleyways; everywhere she looked, there was nothing but black.

'_Where am I?_' Abby thought, slowly standing up. She wasn't sure what she was standing on; the floor was black, too.

"Ed? Double D? Anyone?" Abby called out. When nobody answered her, she began to get more worried. '_Why isn't anyone answering?!_' she said in her mind. '_What in the world is going on?!_'

"Abby."

Abby froze. She knew that voice. She knew that voice anywhere. She thought she'd never hear it again.

Abby slowly turned around. Standing a few feet behind her, just _standing _there, was Galleria.

"G-G-Ga…" That was all Abby was able to stammer before running straight up to her friend and wrapping her arms around her. She burst into tears. "Where have you been?!" Abby sputtered between sobs. "I couldn't find you. I was so scared!"

"I know you were," said Galleria. "I was looking for you, too." She slowly wrapped her arms around Abby, and began to stroke the three bunches of long hair that ran down Abby's back.

"I can't believe it…" Abby said, her crying beginning to slow down. "I missed you…I've wanted to do this…" Then, a sudden thought struck Abby: someone was still missing. She pulled a few inches away from Galleria. "Wait…where's Mick?" she asked, suddenly panicked again. "He's not with you?"

Galleria's smile seemed sadder. "No," she said. "But you'll find him. I know it."

Abby was confused by Galleria's words. "_I'll _find him?" she asked. "What do you mean? Now that we're together, you can come look for him with Double D, Ed, and me. We'll be traveling the worlds, just like we wanted!" At this point, Galleria was no longer smiling. "…Right?"

Galleria sighed. "It's not that simple anymore, Abby."

Now Abby was really confused. "What?"

"This isn't real. This is a dream."

"A dream?!" Abby asked. "But…but that can't be! You're standing right in front of me! I'm _holding on _to you! We're together again, and we're going to find Mick together!"

"Abby," said Galleria, "if this isn't dream, how do you explain where we are?"

Abby looked around. As much as she didn't want to admit it, Galleria was right. There was no other explanation as to where they were right now.

"No…" said Abby, getting upset again. "No! I don't care! I won't believe it!"

Galleria grasped her friend's shoulders. "You have to."

"I don't want to!" said Abby. "I didn't come all this way to find you just so I could lose you again!"

"Abby, listen!" Galleria's grip on Abby's shoulders tightened. "Something's happening. Something bad. I…I'm not in control of myself anymore."

"But why not?" Abby sobbed. "I don't understand!"

Galleria's expression turned grim. "Something's…taking over my body. I thought I could control it, but…it's too strong, Abby. Even for me. I'm not even sure if my body knows I'm talking to you right now." She paused, shaking her head; she looked like she was about to cry herself. "I guess what I'm trying to say is…we're not on the same side anymore."

If Galleria hadn't been holding her up, Abby would have completely collapsed right then and there. "What…?" she squeaked. "But…Galleria…h-how could you?!" Now she was holding onto Galleria's shoulders. "How did this happen? _Why _did this happen?! I thought we were friends!" Horror appeared on Abby's face all over again. "We…we _are _friends…right?"

Galleria released her grip on Abby's shoulders, then grabbed Abby's left hand with her right hand. These were the hands that held their respective friendship bracelets. "Yes, we are friends," she said. "We wouldn't have these if we weren't." She gripped Abby's hand tighter. "I don't know what I'm going to do from this point on, Abby. But know this…"

She paused once again, trying with all her might not to let the tears come out. "No matter what I do, what I say…_anything_, as long as I'm wearing this bracelet, I'm still here. It may not seem like it, but I'll _always _be here. You're my best friend and I love you!" Then, without warning, she slowly leaned over and placed a gentle kiss on the middle of Abby's forehead. "Okay?" she asked, her voice barely above a whisper.

Abby still didn't want to believe it. But she knew that for now, she had no choice. "Okay…" she choked out between her sobs. Suddenly, Galleria's body seemed to start fading away. "Galleria?!"

"It's okay," said Galleria. "You're waking up."

"NO! Not yet!" said Abby. "I want to be with you! I don't want to lose you again!"

"It's okay," said Galleria. "As long as we have these bracelets, we'll always be together. Same with Mick. You're never alone, Abby…"

Without warning, Galleria's body disappeared completely.

"Galleria!" Abby called out in despair. "GALLERIA…!"

---

When Abby's eyes opened again, she realized she was no longer surrounded by black. She was back in the same alley she collapsed in, sitting against one of the walls. The worried faces of Ed and Double D were in front of her.

"Oh, I knew this was a bad idea…" said Double D, reaching out to move some strands of Abby's hair out of her face. "Abby, calm down! It's just us!"

"What happened, Abby?!" asked Ed.

"G-Galleria…" Abby choked out. "She was here…I was _touching _her…she said she…" That was all she could manage before bursting into tears again.

"Oh dear…" said Double D.

"Come here, brave soldier," said Ed, giving Abby a hug.

Ed and Double D waited until Abby calmed down before speaking again.

"Abby…" said Double D. "The Gummi Ship is ready to go now. But while we were there…the Guardian Senshi told us who's controlling the Heartless."

Abby, who had finally stopped crying, looked at Double D. "Really?" she asked. "Who is it?"

"It is a demon spewed from the belly of Hades who has been causing havoc on worlds for years!" Ed exclaimed. "His name's Aku."

"Aku?" Abby asked.

"Yes," said Double D. "Sailor Moon and the others lost their world thanks to him."

"It is so awful!" said Ed.

"Apparently, there was an important figure on the Senshi's world named Galaxia," Double D continued. "She dedicated all her scientific prowess on studying the Heartless."

"This report that Galaxia wrote should tell us how to stop the Heartless," said Ed. "But…uh…Aku may have a lot of the pages still."

"In essence, the pages of the book are scattered," Double D finished.

While Ed and Double D were talking, Abby just sat there listening, the conversation with Galleria still fresh in her mind. She took a deep breath, and made her decision.

"If the report is scattered…then let's find it," she said.

Ed and Double D were surprised.

"Are you sure, Abby?" the wizard asked.

"If that's what we have to do to save all the worlds and stop Aku, I'm in," said Abby. "Let's find those pages and stop that plan!"

"Yay!" said Ed.

"That's the spirit, Abby!" said Double D. "I take it you're feeling better?"

Abby rubbed her eyes one last time. "Yeah, I'll be okay now," she said. "I'm going to find Mick and Galleria, and we're going to save everyone!"

"Can we visit another world, Double D?" asked Ed.

"I think that would be the best course of action at this point, yes," said Double D. "To the Gummi Ship!"

The trio got up and headed back to their ship, eager to head to the next world.

Meanwhile, standing atop a nearby building, two figures were gazing down at the trio.

"You see?" Aku asked Galleria. "It is just as I told you. While you were desperately searching for your dear friend, she simply replaced you with some new companions. It appears she did not value you as much as you originally thought." He leaned in closer. "You do not need that girl anymore. Just come with me, and I will help you find what you are searching for…"

Galleria gazed at Abby, Double D, and Ed as they headed to the entrance of Traverse Town. However, something was different about Galleria; there was no longer a spark in her eyes. They were completely glazed over. It was as if she wasn't even awake anymore.

Galleria gave one last look at the trio, and then followed Aku back into the darkness.


	13. Mochinoki City 1

**Author's Note**: *Sigh*…well, I'm back again. I'm beginning to realize that I just can't concentrate on writing during such an unstructured time frame such as summer. Anyway, if anyone was wondering why I haven't been updating, that's why. I realize that people are waiting patiently for this story, so I'm going to try my best to update as regularly as possible for now. Also, I'm now accepting anonymous reviews, so any feedback is appreciated. Happy reading! ;)-**AMX

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Chapter 6: Mochinoki City, part 1

"I have to say, I'm impressed with the Guardian Senshi's ingenuity," said Double D as he piloted the Gummi Ship. "Thanks to those Navigation Gummis, we can travel to all new worlds."

"Hey Double D?" asked Ed.

"What, Ed?" asked Double D.

"Abby's still not smiling," Ed answered.

Double D looked back at Abby. It was true; Abby hadn't smiled since they had boarded the Gummi Ship. She had a vacant look in her eyes, and she was staring out the window. The wizard then noticed something else: there was a new friendship bracelet in Abby's hands. This one had alternating blue and yellow beads, with one charm that resembled a small, red book.

Meanwhile, Abby was lost in her own thoughts. '_Galleria…what did you mean by that?_' she thought; the "dream" she had had was still fresh in her mind. '_How could you do such a thing…? Are you mad at me?_' Abby began to feel tears well up in her eyes again. '_Please…I just want to see you again…_'

"Abby, look!" Ed's voice suddenly broke through Abby's thoughts.

Abby snapped to attention. "Huh?" she asked.

"We're at another world!" said Double D. "See?"

Abby looked. It was, indeed, a new world. She put the bracelet in her pouch. "Yeah, I see it."

"Prepare for landing!" Double D declared.

---

Meanwhile, on this new world, trouble was already brewing. On the outskirts of an unsuspecting city, a stone castle had been constructed, seemingly overnight. Inside the castle, two malevolent figures were talking to each other. One was instantly recognizable as Aku. The other was about the size of a large doll. He was wearing a white and red dress-like outfit, with a matching hat. He had pale skin and piercing, cat-like eyes.

"Progress on the Keyhole, Zofis?" asked Aku.

The other figure, Zofis, smirked. "The Heartless, along with my own reinforcements, are searching for it as we speak," he said. "That just leaves us with one thing to worry about."

"Zofis!"

A girl was walking toward Zofis and Aku. She was wearing pink and dark-red frilly outfit, with calf-high dark red boots. She had short brown hair and…there was something noticeably off about her eyes. They appeared to be glazed over.

"Any news, Koko?" asked Zofis.

"There is still no sign of the Keyhole," said Koko. "However…the hero we are looking for _is _here. But our reinforcements are not holding up against him and his team. We cannot pinpoint his exact location."

Zofis frowned. "I see…" he said. "Those rebels are more trouble than they're worth."

"Do you still believe you have things under control?" asked Aku.

"Of course I do!" Zofis retorted. "It is not my fault that the surrounding forest has plenty of holes to hide in." He turned away from the living shadow. "If you ask me, I do not see why we must trouble ourselves with that boy. If we find the Keyhole, this world will be ours anyway, right?"

"We need all the Heroes of Heart to open the final door," Aku confirmed. "It will not work if even one is missing."

As the two evil beings conversed, Koko simply stood there, as if she were a comatose living doll.

"Very well," said Zofis, closing his eyes. "If the Hero is that important, we will find him." He opened his eyes, and two Heartless emerged from the floor. "Bring me the owner of the Red Book…Kiyo Takamine."

With that, the Heartless took off, eager to fulfill their order.

"A word of advice," said Aku. "Do not steep in Darkness for too long. The Heartless consume the careless."

Zofis grinned, revealing a set of serrated teeth. "I find your concern touching," he said, "but hardly necessary."

---

Meanwhile, in another part of the forest, Abby, Ed, and Double D found themselves wandering.

"Uh, Double D, what are we supposed to be looking for again?" asked Ed.

"The Keyhole, Ed," said Double D. "It's how we can find it in this mess I'm still trying to figure out."

"I think we'll be finding something here," said Abby.

"What do you mean?" asked Double D.

"I feel…something," said Abby. "A large amount of energy. It's far away…but it's there. Something's happening here."

"But what could be happening in a large forest?" asked Ed.

"You'd be surprised, Ed," said Double D.

Suddenly, Abby felt a large concentration of energy right behind the group.

"Look out!" she exclaimed.

Although Ed and Double D were visibly surprised, they had enough sense to jump out of the way. It was a good thing, too.

"_Reis!_"

Without warning, a large ball of dark purple energy rushed right through where the three were originally standing. The ball slammed into a nearby tree, leaving a large indent in the trunk.

"What in the world?!" asked Double D, looking at the damage.

"Sherry, they aren't a threat to us."

Abby, Ed, and Double D looked behind them. Two figures emerged from the trees behind them: one was a young girl with long blonde hair, wearing a purple dress. She was holding a black book with a strange design on the cover. The other figure was a short boy with pale skin, wearing a furry, purple outfit.

"What?" asked the girl (Abby guessed this was Sherry). "Brago, how can this be? How can they be here without a Mamodo?"

Abby, Double D, and Ed started at the word "Mamodo."

"Mamodo?" asked Double D.

"Is that what all this is about?" asked Abby.

"What what is about now?" asked Ed.

Sherry's expression turned neutral. "You should get out of here," she said. "Zofis will go after you if he finds out that you're defenseless."

"Zofis?" asked Ed.

"He's a pure-evil Mamodo," said Sherry. "And he's hurt me deeply. I'm the only one allowed to bring him down!"

"Is that so?" asked Double D.

"So this energy I'm feeling…" said Abby. "Are there other Mamodo here, fighting Zofis?"

"There are, not that we care," said the other figure, Brago (Abby's group figured that he was Sherry's Mamodo). "However, I can't help but notice that his motives seem to have changed recently. The minions we've been fighting…they've all talked about Zofis looking for something called a Keyhole…"

"Abby!" Double D exclaimed to the Keyblade wielder.

Abby nodded in response.

"That's not all," said Sherry. "They've also been talking about _that Mamodo _and his owner…the one with the Red Book. Zofis better not be planning to burn their book; only _I'm _allowed to do that…"

_"Well, Sherry, you seem to have this all figured out. Unfortunately, my intention is not to burn the Red Book."_

Abby, Double D, and Ed jumped. Why was this voice suddenly coming out of nowhere?

"Abby, the trees are talking!" said Ed.

"I don't think so, Ed," said Double D.

"Zofis!" Sherry exclaimed. "Where are you?!"

_"As much as I would like to tell you, I'm afraid I don't have time to fight you right now," _Zofis' voice answered. _"I have other things to worry about. But don't worry…I'm taking very good care of Koko for you."_

This seemed to strike a nerve. Sherry growled. "Zofis!" she cried out, before running back into the trees.

Brago was about to follow her, but he suddenly spared one last glance toward Abby and her group.

"Don't get in our way again," he warned. "I will not go easy on you just because you don't have a Mamodo." He then dashed into the trees after Sherry.

Meanwhile, the trio were still slightly shocked by the whole thing.

"What just happened?" asked Double D.

"I'm not sure," said Abby. "But something tells me we shouldn't run into those guys again."

"Isn't Kedo one of those Mamodo things those guys kept talking about?" asked Ed.

"Why, I believe you're right, Ed," said Double D. "Maybe the other people who are here know Dr. Riddles and Kedo?"

Suddenly, the trio had other problems. A group of Heartless emerged around them.

"Looks like we have other things to worry about right now," said Abby, summoning the Keyblade.

Abby, Ed, and Double D began fighting the Heartless. However, when one group ended, another group suddenly emerged.

"How long do you think we can keep this up?" asked Double D.

"Until our arms fall off?" asked Ed.

"I'm not sure I'd like to find out," said Abby, getting ready to strike another Heartless. But just as she was about to bring the Keyblade down…

"_Zaker!_"

"_Saisu!_"

"_Shudoruk!_"

Then, everything seemed to happen at once. A large bolt of lightning shot in front of Abby wiped out all the Heartless in front of her. A pink, boomerang-shaped beam whirled around Double D, wiping out the Heartless near him. And a large ball of light that was suspiciously shaped like a small horse jumped out in front of Ed, wiping out the Heartless in front of him.

The next thing the trio knew, all the Heartless were gone, and what appeared to be a small horse was sitting in front of Ed.

"Hey, look guys!" said Ed, pointing at the horse. "A horsey!"

"Are you guys okay?"

The trio looked behind them. Standing there were three humans: one was a teenage boy with short, brown hair, wearing a green shirt over a white tank top and regular jeans. The other man was older-looking, with blond spiky hair, a white long-sleeved shirt under a green vest, and brown slacks. The other was a teenage girl with long, light-brown hair, wearing a yellow blouse and a brown checked skirt.

Abby could also see that behind a nearby tree was a fourth human. He had shaggy orange hair, and was wearing a flashy white show shirt, green pants, and pink shoes.

But that wasn't the weird part.

Along with the horse were three other people, presumably Mamodos; the first two looked normal enough. There was a young-looking boy with blond hair and a blue outfit. There was a little girl with dark pink hair and a light pink dress. And behind the tree with the hiding man, there was a little boy with orange hair, a sleeper outfit, and a duck bill(?).

"Uh…are the Heartless gone now?" asked the duck-billed boy.

One last thing caught Abby's eye. All four humans were holding books. The blond man's book was light brown. The hiding man's book was yellow. The girl's book was orange.

And the other boy's book was red.

Abby turned to Double D and Ed. "Guys," she said. "I think we found our Red Book owner."


	14. Mochinoki City 2

Chapter 6: Mochinoki City, part 2

Soon, Abby, Ed, and Double D, along with the group of Book Owners and Mamodo, were heading toward the large stone castle Zofis presumably inhabited at the moment.

A few minutes before, the Book Owners and Mamodo had introduced themselves to Abby's group. The boy with the Red Book was Kiyo, and his Mamodo (the blond-haired boy) was Zatch; the girl with brown hair was Megumi, and her Mamodo (the pink-haired girl) was Tia; the green-vested man was Kafk Sunbeam, and his Mamodo (the little horse) was Ponygon; and finally, the orange-haired man was Parco Folgore, and his duck-billed Mamodo was Kanchome.

"So, you're telling us that Zofis might be after Kiyo, and he's also looking for something called a Keyhole?" asked Megumi.

"Yes, that pretty much sums it up," said Double D.

"Well, if there's a Keyhole, there's a door that goes with it, right?" asked Kanchome. "What's Zofis want with a door?"

"You said those Heartless things have something to do with that Keyhole," said Folgore, his voice wavering. "That's not going to make it worse, is it?"

"Once we seal the Keyhole, if anything, things will get better," Abby answered. "Either way, Zofis needs to be stopped, right?"

"If we want to save humans and Mamodo alike, yes," Sunbeam piped up. "If Zofis succeeds in whatever he's ultimately planning, who knows what he'd be capable of?"

Ponygon was too busy "conversing" with Ed to add anything (how exactly they could converse was debatable, since Ponygon's vocabulary was limited to "Meru meru me").

"Kiyo, you're awfully quiet," Tia suddenly said, looking at the Red Book owner. "Are you okay?"

Kiyo seemed to snap to attention. "Oh…I was just wondering…what does Zofis want with me? I mean, if I'm really who he's looking for. That can't be good either, right?"

"It's okay, Kiyo!" said Zatch. "I don't care what he's planning. As long as we're together, we can't be defeated!"

Kiyo gave a small smile. "Thanks Zatch," he said. He turned to Abby. "But…are you sure you guys can't tell us anything else?"

Abby turned to the Book Owners. "Sorry," she said. "We don't mean to seem shady, but we have our mission, too. That's all we can tell you." Just then, Abby stopped in her tracks.

"What's wrong, Abby?" asked Ed.

"Something's coming," she replied.

Just as Abby said this, the whole group found themselves surrounded by Heartless.

"WHOA!" said Kanchome.

"I say the sooner we end this, the better!" Folgore exclaimed.

"So, _this _is the outpouring of resistance I've been detecting?"

Everyone turned to an area just behind the circle of Heartless, only to see Zofis emerge from behind a tree.

"Well, this is convenient," the evil Mamodo said. "I have the Key bearer and the Hero right here. All I need now is to find the Keyhole, and I'll be all set."

"But why do you need Kiyo?" asked Zatch. "What's this all about?!"

"In order to open the door, we need all seven Heroes of Heart," said Zofis. "Nothing else will do."

"Open…" said Double D.

"…The door?" Ed finished.

"Zofis!" Suddenly, Koko also emerged from the trees. "They found it. It's in the lower reaches of the castle."

Zofis glared at the group. "I see," he said. "I suppose I can secure the Hero later. Right now…" He held up his right hand. "…the Keyhole is our priority."

Koko's book began to glow, and she opened it to a specific page. "_Gigano Radom!_"

A giant fireball formed in Zofis' hand, and shot itself straight toward the group.

Out of the corner of her eye, Abby saw that Kiyo's book was glowing as well.

"_Rashield!"_

A giant yellow shield appeared before the group, meeting the fireball head-on. As expected, the entire area filled up with light. And when the light cleared, not only were Zofis and Koko gone, but so were the Heartless.

"Well…that was somewhat convenient for us," said Double D.

"Is that convenient too, Double D?" asked Ed, pointing at something.

The combination of Zofis and Zatch's attacks had peeled back most of the surrounding trees, revealing that the group was a lot closer to the castle than they originally thought. There were two doorways carved into the wall of the castle.

"Now what?" asked Sunbeam.

Suddenly, Abby stepped forward, holding the Keyblade out in front of her.

"Abby?" asked Double D.

Abby waited for a minute before speaking. "From what I can tell," she said slowly. "…no matter which way we take, it will ultimately lead to the same place. And apparently…that place is right to the Keyhole."

"And Zofis?" asked Megumi.

"I wouldn't be surprised," said Abby.

"Then I guess it's now or never," said Kiyo, stepping forward. "I think our only real option is for each group to take a path."

"What?" asked Zatch. "But Kiyo…" He looked at Abby, Double D, and Ed. "There's a lot less people with Abby's group. Will they be okay?"

Everyone else looked unsure about how to answer. Abby, on the other hand, just smiled.

"Yeah, it's just Double D, Ed, and me," said Abby. "But keep in mind, Zatch. Zofis might be after Kiyo. It only makes sense if there's a lot more people around to make sure he's okay, right?"

Zatch still looked unsure, but finally nodded. "Well…okay," he said. "But Abby needs to be careful too! I don't want anyone to get hurt here!"

Abby nodded back. "Don't worry about us," she said. "We're all going to make it out of here."

With that, Abby's group went through the left doorway, while Zatch and Kiyo's group went through the right doorway.

---

Meanwhile, Zofis and Koko had already gotten to the room with the Keyhole in it, and the Mamodo was beside himself.

"Excellent!" said Zofis. "Things are going in our favor, Koko! And with the power of darkness combined with my Mamodo powers, I can control this entire world!"

"So you're planning to set out on your own, Zofis?"

Zofis started as the shape shifting shadow emerged from a dark corner of the area.

"Aku!" he exclaimed. "You heard me?"

"Remember what I told you about the darkness, Zofis," Aku answered. "I can very easily find a replacement."

"Oh…"

The two were interrupted by Koko staring toward the doorways at the other end of the room.

"What is it, Koko?" asked Zofis. "Is our resistance group coming?"

"Yeah, but…" Koko paused.

Zofis grinned. "Oh, I see," he said. "Our _other _uninvited guests are here as well."

Koko frowned. "Sherry…"

---

Throughout the dark corridor, Abby's group was busy trying to get to the other side as quickly as possible, and fighting off the occasional group of Heartless.

"Abby," said Double D as the group soldiered on. "Are you sure it was a good idea to let the others go on their own?"

"Well, that's what they were probably going to do before we got here," said Abby. "And they're determined to stop Zofis, one way or another."

"What about those other guys?" asked Ed. "The ones who used gravity."

Abby and Double D stopped.

"Oh yeah," said Abby. "I almost forgot about Sherry and Brago."

"They seemed adamant about beating Zofis themselves," said Double D. "Do you think they would be the same with Zatch and his group?"

However, Abby didn't seem to listen to what Double D was saying.

"Are you okay, Abby?" asked Ed.

"Oh no…" said Abby. "I'm getting some strong energy readings up ahead, and not the good kind."

"Oh dear!" said Double D. "You think they're in trouble?"

"Only one way to find out," said Abby. "Come on!"

The trio began running as fast as they could toward the end of the path.

---

Unfortunately, "trouble" was an understatement. When Abby, Double D, and Ed entered the room with the Keyhole, it was absolute chaos.

Sherry and Brago were on one side of the room, Koko and Zofis on the other side. Large amounts of gravity and fire were being sent to each other, shaking the entire foundation of the castle.

On the ground were Zatch, Tia, Megumi, Kanchome, Folgore, Ponygon, and Sunbeam, looking incredibly worse for wear. And even worse, Kiyo was nowhere to be seen.

"Hey, what happened?!" asked Abby as she and her group ran up.

"Aah!" Kanchome exclaimed. "Abby, it's horrible!"

"They were already fighting when we got here!" said Megumi. "They won't let anyone get too close!"

"But…Kiyo!" Tia exclaimed. "He fell through a hole in the ground! Zatch was able to save his spell book, but Kiyo's just disappeared!"

Abby started, and glanced over to Zatch. The poor little Mamodo was clutching his Red Book to his chest, desperately calling out Kiyo's name and getting dangerously close to the ensuing fight.

But then…Abby saw something else. Behind the fight was the wall on the other side of the room. And on the wall was the open Keyhole. And standing next to the Keyhole was what could only be described as a living shadow with a sinister frown on his face.

"Aku…?" Abby asked.

Aku said nothing. Instead, he seemed to slink into the wall.

"Meru meru me!" Ponygon exclaimed.

"Zatch, be careful!" Sunbeam called out. "Your book will get burned if you get too close to that!"

"Let's get out of here, please!" Folgore cried out.

"No!" said Zatch. "We can't leave yet! We need to find Kiyo!"

"Abby, seal the Keyhole!" Double D called out.

"Right!" said Abby. "I just need to get a good shot…"

Abby pointed the Keyblade toward the Keyhole. The second she got a clear opening, a beam shot out of the Keyblade and hit the Keyhole dead-on, causing another clicking sound to be heard.

Unfortunately, Zofis noticed. "No!" he exclaimed, making to aim toward Abby.

"_Ion Gravi-Rei!_" Sherry called out.

A large circle of gravity shot out of Brago's hand, flattening anything in its path, and causing the castle to give another violent lurch.

"We can't stay here any longer," said Sunbeam. "The whole castle will collapse if this keeps up!"

Abby began to run toward Zatch. "Zatch, we need to get out of here now!" she said.

"But Kiyo…!" Zatch began.

Abby knelt down in front of Zatch. "Kiyo was taken away to a different world!" she exclaimed.

Zatch and the rest of the group went silent.

"_What_?" Tia exclaimed.

"Look out, Abby!" Ed suddenly yelled out.

"_You_…"

Zatch and Abby looked up. Standing above them was a very angry-looking Brago.

"_Didn't I tell you…_" said the dark Mamodo, raising a clawed hand.

"NO!" Megumi yelled.

"_NOT TO GET IN MY WAY?!"_

Abby grabbed Zatch and threw her body toward Brago's attack. She gave a few faltered steps forward before regaining her momentum and running back toward the doorway.

"Ohh, Abby!" Zatch cried out.

"Come on!" Abby called to the others.

As everyone ran out of the crumbling castle, the group could clearly see the four deep scratch marks that ran across Abby's back.

---

However, receiving a full-on attack from Brago was not enough to save Abby from the disapproving glare from Double D once everyone was safely in the woods again.

"I'm sorry," she tried again. "It just slipped out…"

"Take me with you!" Zatch pleaded. "Take me with you to this other world so I can help Kiyo!"

Double D finally stopped glaring and gave a guilty sigh. "I'm sorry, Zatch," he said. "But we just can't do that."

"It'd be mudd-mudd…meddling too much," Ed added.

"Oh…" said Zatch, obviously disappointed.

"Well, at least let us heal your back," Tia spoke up. "I know a healing spell, so…"

"Thanks, but you should save it for yourselves," said Abby. She then turned around to show everyone why.

Although her shirt was still ripped, the four scratches that once adorned Abby's back were nowhere to be seen.

"Meru-me?!" said Ponygon, who looked shocked.

"What?!" asked Folgore. "How'd your wounds heal so fast?!"

Even Ed and Double D were surprised.

"You see, I'm psychic," said Abby. "My body heals faster than most people. That was nothing compared to some of the injuries I've sustained."

Then, she turned back to Zatch.

"Zatch, I know we didn't succeed in keeping Kiyo safe, but Ed, Double D, and I are going to do everything we can to make sure Kiyo comes back."

Zatch sniffled. "Really?" he asked.

"Really," said Abby. Then, she took something out of her belt pouch. It was the blue and yellow friendship bracelet with the Red Book charm. "And that's a promise."

"Wow!" said Zatch, seeming to cheer up. "What's this for, Abby?" he asked, taking the bracelet.

"This is to show we're friends," said Abby, taking another bracelet that matched Zatch's out and putting it on her belt. "And as long as we're friends, we'll always have a reason to fight. So you have to be strong for us too, okay?"

"Okay!" said Zatch. "I know Abby and her friends will help Kiyo come back! And we'll keep fighting too!" He put on the bracelet.

Suddenly, Kanchome walked up to Abby. He was holding something.

"Abby, Folgore and I want to help find Kiyo, too!" he said. "So we want you to have this!"

Abby took the item Kanchome was holding. It was a CD with Folgore's picture on the front.

"That's the hit CD with my number-one song on it," said Folgore. "You can use that to call Kanchome and me whenever you need help fighting. It's the least we can do."

"Gee…thanks," said Abby, who had just finished reading the title of the CD: _Chinchi no Mogu _(**AN:** Which should roughly translate into "Groping Breasts." I hope I spelled that right).

"If you ever have the time, come back and visit!" said Tia.

"We will," said Abby, standing up. She, Double D, and Ed began walking back to the Gummi Ship.

As they left, the group of humans and Mamodo waved goodbye to them.

"Say hi to Kiyo for me!" Zatch called out, just as the trio disappeared over the horizon.

'_Don't worry, Zatch,_' Abby thought. '_We will_.'


	15. The Sand Whale

Chapter 7: The Sand Whale

Double D gazed at Folgore's CD, which was now sitting on the dashboard of the Gummi Ship.

"Goodness, what are we becoming?" asked Double D. "A lost-and-found service? What happened to finding the King?"

"Aw, come on, Double D!" said Ed. "Zatch looked so sad! They need our help just as much as everyone else does!"

The wizard sighed. "Very well," he said. "But I must say, I'm not too happy about all this."

Meanwhile, Abby was gazing at the almost-forgotten adventure chronicler, Courage, who was sound asleep in a nearby chair.

"Hey Double D," she spoke up. "I was just wondering…what happened to Courage's world? Didn't you say he ended up on your world?"

"Unfortunately, yes," said Double D. "We actually don't know a lot about Courage. I'm sure there's at least _some _remnants of his world around here somewhere."

"Courage told me he's got a family!" said Ed. "Maybe they're at Traverse Town now!"

Abby gazed at Courage. It may not have been obvious, but the little dog was actually helping the trio a lot. He was writing down all the details of their adventures, from all the people they were meeting to any and every treasure they happened to find. It was no wonder Courage was exhausted.

Suddenly, a button on the Gummi Ship's control panel began flashing.

"Oh! Somebody's calling us," said Double D, pushing the button.

The glass dome above the trio's heads also doubled as a video screen; it flickered to life, and soon the four Inner Senshi appeared above them.

"Hiya ladies!" said Ed.

"Can we help you?" asked Double D.

"Well…we just wanted to make sure you were all okay," said Sailor Mercury. "You left kind of abruptly before, and you haven't been back in a while."

"Aw, we're just fine!" said Ed. "Right, Abby?"

Although Abby wanted to confidently say that everything was going okay, she just couldn't do it. She was no closer to finding Mick; not only that, both Kiyo and Mac were still missing from their worlds as well. Not to mention that dream with Galleria…

"Yeah," she was able to give a small smile. "Everything's fine."

"Relatively speaking," said Double D. "Anyway, ladies, do you mind if I ask you for a favor?"

"No problem!" said Sailor Venus, also appearing on the screen. "What is it?"

"Could you not call us when we're flying this thing?" asked Double D. "The screen takes up all the windows, and I can't see where we're going."

Sailor Mars also appeared onscreen. "Hey now," she said. "We can't help it if we're worried about you guys!"

"That's true, Double D," said Ed.

Double D sighted in annoyance again. "Oh, all right," he said. "How about if we need anything, _we'll _call _you_?"

Sailor Jupiter was the last one to appear onscreen. "Come on, guys," she said. "I think the least we can d- is –ive the- space…"

Suddenly, the picture began to flicker, and the sound became distorted.

"Huh?" asked Double D.

"Hey, what's going on?" asked Abby, sitting up in her seat. Even Courage began to stir.

Suddenly, Ed looked toward the back of the ship. "Hey Double D?" he asked. "Do worlds have mouths?"

"What?" asked Double D, who was frantically pushing buttons. "Of course not, Ed."

"Well, if it's not a world, whose mouth did we just fly into?" Ed asked.

At this point, Abby and Double D also turned around. They were no longer flying through space. In fact, the only sight of space was through a rapidly closing hole…with teeth.

Abby, Double D, or Ed didn't make any sound. Courage, however, was now wide-awake, and had one thing to say as the Gummi Ship went completely dark:

"AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaah…"

---

_Many years ago, on the peaceful Vega Island, two young girls were making their way through a cave, which had a monster in it, according to the younger of the two girls._

_"I'm telling you, it wasn't the wind," said the younger girl, clinging tightly to the older girl. "It was a monster!"_

_"Calm down. Look," said the older girl. She pointed to a hole in the cave's ceiling. "The wind makes strange noises sometimes. There's nothing to be scared about."_

_The older girl then looked down at her young friend. "But suppose there is a monster," she said. "Think we can beat it by ourselves, Abby?"_

_The younger girl's face went from worried to excited. "Yeah!" she said. "I can do anything as long as I'm with Galleria!"_

_The younger girl's happy reaction made the older girl smile. "You're so cute," she said. "By the way…" She held up her right wrist, which had a bracelet made of red and black beads on it; there was an identical bracelet on the younger girl's wrist. "Thanks for the neat gift. I love it."_

_The younger girl looked like she was seeing stars. She ran over to her friend and wrapped her tiny arms around the older girl's waist. "I'm so glad you like it!" she said. "These bracelets mean Galleria and I will be friends forever! Right, Galleria?"_

_The older girl's smile grew into a full-out grin. She couldn't help herself; her little friend was just adorable! "Yeah," she said, returning the hug. "Friends forever…"_

_---  
_

"COURAGE!"

Abby awoke to an unfamiliar woman's voice. She slowly opened her eyes, and looked around. She didn't know where she was (somehow, she'd been thrown from the Gummi Ship), but she quickly saw Ed and Double D. She also saw an elderly woman with curly white hair, wearing a tan dress, an apron, and rubber boots hugging Courage.

"What's going on?" Abby asked Ed and Double D.

"Remember how you were asking about Courage's family?" asked Double D. "I think we just found it.

The old woman stopped gushing over a happy Courage long enough to look at the trio.

"Oh, did you find my Courage?" asked the woman. "I can't thank you enough! I've been so worried. My name is Muriel Bagge, by the way."

"Nice to meet you," said Abby. "I'm Abby, and this is Ed and Double D." She looked around again. "Uh…can you tell us where we are, exactly?"

"Oh my, I should have guessed you'd be confused," said Muriel. "Please, come with me and I'll explain this whole mess!"

She began to walk away with Courage still in her arms.

"Well, what do you guys think?" asked Double D.

"She's okay," said Abby. "I can't sense a mean-spirited thought anywhere in that woman."

"Do you think she has cookies?" asked Ed. "Old ladies always have cookies!"

Having stated their opinions, the trio followed Courage and Muriel.

---

"So let me get this straight…" said Double D, looking at the spectacle before them. "Your entire house is down here?"

"Yes, that's it," said Muriel. "It's not much, but we like to call it home."

"Who's we?" asked Ed.

"Courage, my husband, and me," said Muriel. "Eustace should still be inside. Unfortunately, he's decided to be a stubborn old man again…anyway, please come in and I'll explain this whole mess."

The trio followed Muriel and Courage into the house. Once inside, they saw Eustace; he was an old man in overalls, wearing a brown hat and glasses, reading a newspaper in a large red armchair.

"We don't want any!" Eustace snapped at the trio.

"Now Eustace, these people found Courage for us," said Muriel.

"That's even worse!" said Eustace. "Bah!" He went back to his paper.

Muriel sighed. "Courage, if you don't mind, I have some laundry outside that needs to be brought in. Could you get it for me?" The dog nodded, heading back out the door of the house. Muriel turned back to the trio. "You'll have to forgive Eustace," she said. "He's bitter because we're stuck here."

"And where is 'here' exactly?" asked Double D.

"Oh, yes," said Muriel. "You see, we're inside a Sand Whale's stomach."

"A Sand Whale's stomach?" Abby repeated.

"Yes," said Muriel. "From what I can tell, the Sand Whale is upset because Eustace's father stole an accordion that belonged to the whale. We can't get out unless we leave the accordion with the whale."

"Eh, what's a whale gonna do with an accordion, anyway?" Eustace piped up. "I say it ain't no business of mine!"

"So, the whale swallowed you and your house because Eustace won't give back the accordion?" asked Abby, ignoring the grumpy farmer.

"Yes," said Muriel. "But when the whale swallowed Eustace and myself, I was separated from my Courage." She sighed. "I'm so relieved. Courage is my most precious possession. I don't think I know what I'd do without him at this point…"

Abby was just able to hear Eustace mumble something along the lines of "Stupid dog" under his breath.

"AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!"

Abby, Ed Double D, and Muriel jumped at the sudden scream that came from outside.

"Courage?!" asked Muriel, running outside, the trio right behind her.

Outside was a disturbing sight: A giant creature with a telltale Heartless insignia had Courage inside its massive mouth, which doubled as a cage.

"Stay back!" Abby said to Muriel, who was attempting to run straight to the Heartless. "It's not safe."

"But…Courage is my light!" Muriel protested as she helplessly watched the Heartless crawl away with her dog still trapped inside. "I can't lose him again! I don't know what I'd…"

As Abby, Ed, and Double D watched the poor woman weep over the beloved loss of her pet, a new determination was set in all three of them.

"Muriel, don't worry," said Abby. "We'll bring Courage back! He's important to us, too."

Ed and Double D nodded in agreement.

Muriel sniffled. "Very well," she said, her voice quivering. "Please bring back my Courage!"

---

With that, Abby, Double D, and Ed ran after the Heartless. Doing this caused them to venture deeper into the Sand Whale's stomach. By the time they caught up with the Heartless, the pathway had been reduced to platforms floating on stomach acid.

"We've got it now!" said Double D.

The trio stopped about ten feet away from the Heartless, just in time to see someone pulling a fainted Courage out from the Heartless' mouth. But not just anyone…

"Galleria?!" Abby called out. "What are you doing here?"

Galleria turned toward the trio, glaring at them. She set Courage down next to the Heartless…then, without warning, lunged straight at Abby!

Abby, realizing she couldn't properly shield herself with the Keyblade, thrust out her hand, putting a burst of psychic energy between her and Galleria. It was then that Abby got a good look at her friend.

Abby was stunned by the glazed-over look her friend had. "Guys, go help Courage!" she managed to call out to Double D and Ed.

"Got it!" said Double D. He and Ed began to run toward the dog, all the while dodging attacks from the Heartless.

Meanwhile, Abby decided that the only thing she could do right now was try and talk some sense into her friend.

"Galleria, please stop!" she pleaded with her friend. "Don't you realize what you're doing?!"

"I was about to ask you the same thing, Abby," said Galleria. "It seems that these days, all you care about is going around and showing off the Keyblade."

Galleria swung a punch at Abby, almost causing the psychic to lose her balance and fall straight into the stomach acid. Instead, she fell forward, to her knees.

"But what about Mick, Abby?" Galleria asked. "Don't you care about saving him?"

This caught Abby's attention. "Look, this is crazy," she kept trying to reason. "Let Courage go!"

"No way," said Galleria. She turned to Courage, who was still out cold. "That dog is a coward, yet he has an incredibly strong heart. It's quite odd actually…maybe that will be the key to saving Mick."

"Galleria, you're not making sense!" said Abby. "What happened to Mick? Is he hurt?!"

"Abby…" said Galleria. "What's more important to you? Mick, or this mutt?"

Abby was speechless. But then, she noticed something: the friendship bracelet that she made Galleria was still on the girl's wrist.

_"As long as we have these bracelets, we'll always be together. Same with Mick. You're never alone, Abby…"_

Then, Abby looked over at Ed and Double D, who had somehow finally snatched Courage away from the Heartless.

_"Courage is my light…"_

Abby knew then and there what she wanted. She gripped the Keyblade tightly, got up, and went into fighting stance.

"What's this?" asked Galleria. "You're willing to fight me for a dog?"

"Galleria," said Abby. "I refuse to make such a decision, because Mick and Courage are both important to me!"

"Why defend that dog?" asked Galleria. "His heart's useless."

"At least he has a heart!" Abby protested. "And even if he is a coward, he's willing to put himself in danger to save his friends. And right now, I'm trying to save my friends too! Doesn't that mean _anything _to you, Galleria?!"

However, all Galleria did was give another glare.

"I see," she said. "Looks like you've left me with no other choice." Suddenly, a portal that seemed to be made of shadows appeared behind her. "I'll just have to save Mick by myself," Galleria continued as she began to step into the portal. "You and your friends can stay here and play hide-and-seek with the Heartless."

"Galleria, wait!" Abby begged her friend. "Please don't go!"

"You won't be able to save Mick…"

Galleria's voice echoed through the area as the portal completely disappeared.

Double D and Ed ran over to Abby, who seemed to be in shock.

"Abby, we got Courage away from the Heartless," said Double D.

"Are you okay, Abby?" asked Ed.

Abby just stared at the spot where the portal once was.

"No…I don't think I am," she finally answered.

But the trio didn't have any more time to relax. The next thing they knew, the Heartless that had taken Courage was lunging at them.

As the trio began to fight the creature, Abby's mind was still in another place, running at 100 miles an hour.

'_Galleria…_' she thought. '_You said that as long as you were wearing your bracelet, you were still there, but…can I really trust that? What is going on? What happened to you?!_'

'_Please, talk to me, Galleria!!_'

---

Meanwhile, Galleria was no longer on the same world as Abby and her friends. Instead, she was in a small room. And she wasn't alone.

The room had a small couch in it. And lying on that couch was the unconscious form of one Mick.

Suddenly, a shadowed figure emerged from a portal similar to the one Galleria had used earlier. The shape-shifting demon also looked down at the seemingly sleeping boy.

"What did I tell you?" Aku asked Galleria. "You can't trust that girl anymore. Such a pity, really…" His gaze remained fixed on Mick. "If his lost heart is not retrieved, he will never recover. He will simply sleep like a doll forever."

"I'll do whatever it takes," Galleria answered. "What do I have to do to save him?"

"There is one thing you can do," said Aku. "Throughout the worlds, there are seven young people with the purest of heart. The Heroes of Heart, they're called. If we gather them all together, the heart of all worlds will unlock; and with this, untold wisdom. When that happens, you will surely find a way to recover Mick's heart." Aku's already dark claw-like hands began to glow black. "To accomplish this task, I can grant you a gift…the power to control the Heartless."

Galleria did not answer. She simply continued to look down at her other friend.

"Don't worry, Mick," she murmured. "This will all be over soon. I swear, I'll get your heart back."

---

Meanwhile, Abby, Ed, and Double D had just defeated the cage-mouthed Heartless that had taken Courage.

"Well, that's that," said Double D. "Now let's get outta here!"

But Abby wasn't listening. '_Galleria…_' she thought.

"Ooh!" said Ed, "One more thing!" He reached into his jacket, and pulled out…an accordion, which he placed on one of the stomach platforms.

"Ed," said Double D. "Where did you exhume that from?"

"Oh, I found it sitting next to the farmer's chair," said Ed. "If the whale feels that he has his accordion back, he'll let Courage's family go, right?"

"Ohh…ohh…"

The trio was alerted to a moaning sound. They turned and saw that Courage had woken up.

Abby couldn't help but smile. "Courage, we should go back," she said. "Muriel's waiting for you."

"Mmm-hmm," the dog replied, going back down the path toward his house.

Without a word, Abby, Double D, and Ed followed him.

---

Needless to say, Muriel was overjoyed to have her dog in her arms again. And Eustace was indifferent/upset about the accordion, but really seemed to want the whole thing to go away.

"Oh, thank you so much!" said Muriel. "I don't know how I can properly thank you!"

"_I _can," said Eustace. "If we're free to go, help us find a way outta this dump!"

"If I may, I might have a solution," said Double D. He ran off, seemingly in the direction where the Gummi Ship was.

When he returned, he was towing what looked like a smaller version of the Gummi Ship behind him.

"I made this Mini-Gummi Ship in my spare time," said the wizard. "Comfortably seats three, and the autopilot makes traveling a breeze. I've set the coordinates for a place called Traverse Town; you can stay there until this whole mess has been sorted out."

"Oh, how lovely," said Muriel. "But…" With slight hesitation, she held her beloved Courage out to Abby. "I believe that right now the best thing to do is to let Courage continue to travel with you. He seems to be helping you out a lot, and we'll be right there when he feels the need to return to us. I trust you."

Abby smiled, and gently took Courage into her arms. "I understand," she said. "Thank you."

"No, thank _you_," said Muriel. "Come along now, Eustace." With that, the woman entered the Mini-Gummi Ship.

"I ain't gettin' in that thing!" Eustace proclaimed.

"They have good TV in Traverse Town!" Ed piped up.

"Works for me," said Eustace, also entering the small ship.

"Just push that red button, and the ship will take you on the safest and shortest route to Traverse Town," Double D explained.

"Got it," said Muriel. She pushed the button. The Mini-Gummi Ship began to rise. "Good-bye, Courage! Take good care of those kids!"

Courage waved good-bye to his owners as they sailed out of the Sand Whale.

"Well, shall we take our leave as well?" asked Double D.

"Ooh, ooh!" said Ed. "Whoever gets back first gets to drive!" He began to run back toward the big Gummi Ship.

"Ed, hold on a minute!" said Double D, running after his friend.

That left Abby, who was still holding Courage. The psychic looked down at the fuchsia dog.

"Well, at least I was able to save _one _friend…" Abby murmured. Then, she gave a small smile as she and the canine chronicler also walked back to the ship.


	16. Deep Space 1

Chapter 8: Deep Space, part 1

Abby looked over at Courage, who was once again asleep in a corner of the Gummi Ship. She was happy for the little dog; he had found his family, and they were now safe and sound in Traverse Town. It was no wonder that the little dog was worn out.

Then, Abby's thoughts went back to Galleria. She was still a little bit in shock about what had happened inside the Sand Whale. What in the world had happened to her best friend to make her act like that? Galleria had said that no matter what happened, they were still friends, but…was that really possible at this point?

Abby hated the feelings these thoughts were giving her. She felt terrible about doubting Galleria, but what was she supposed to think? Sure, Galleria wasn't always cheerful like Abby was, but Abby couldn't remember a time when Galleria had acted intentionally malicious toward her, or anyone for that matter.

Abby was confused about the whole thing, and she hated that. The only thing she could come up with was that between the time that Abby had arrived in Traverse Town and Galleria had appeared in Traverse Town, something had happened.

Something bad.

At this point, Abby decided that there was no point in dwelling on those thoughts for the moment, so her thoughts turned back to the new friendship bracelet she had just finished making. It was a bracelet made of alternating pink and white beads, with a red atom charm also strung in.

"Abby, look!" said Ed, catching the psychic's attention. "We found another world!"

"We're going in!" said Double D, steering toward the new world.

Abby gazed out the window. The new world looked like a large landing base for spaceships. As they got closer, Abby noticed that the people of that world all wore a certain outfit; it looked like a uniform.

"Jimmy, Rolf, prepare for landing," Double D spoke into an intercom.

"I bet we'll find another Keyhole here," Ed spoke up.

"Uh, guys?" Abby asked. She looked at the world's residents' uniforms, then back at her own clothing. "Call me crazy, but I have a feeling that we may stick out too much."

"Oh, that won't be a problem," said Double D. "Not with my magic!"

At that point, the Gummi Ship had touched down on the new world, and Double D and Ed headed toward the ship's door. Abby was still skeptical, but ultimately decided that the only logical thing to do was follow her friends outside.

---

But when Abby actually stepped down on the terrain, she couldn't help but feel that something was different. When she looked at Ed and Double D, she saw why: the boys were now wearing red-orange and dark green versions of the uniforms she had seen.

"Oh…that's what you meant," she said.

"He changed your clothes too, Abby!" said Ed.

Abby looked down. She was also wearing a yellow version of the uniform.

'_How…cute!_' Abby thought. Then, she looked around again. That's when she noticed something else that was odd.

"Hey…where is everyone?" she asked. "I could've sworn I saw people when we came in…"

BOOM!

The sudden explosion caught the trio's attention.

"Does that answer your question, Abby?" asked Double D.

"They're being attacked!" said Ed. "Every man for themselves!"

"Sparky, they're on your left!"

The new voice was the next thing that caught the trio's attention. They looked over to the side, only to see another trio a few feet away from them. It was a young girl with long, red hair in a ponytail and big green eyes, wearing a pink and white uniform; an alien boy with green skin and a big nose, wearing a red and white uniform; and a rectangular-shaped robot.

Abby, Ed, and Double D also noticed that Heartless robots surrounded the new trio.

"Well, that explains where everybody else went," said Abby.

"You think they're causing trouble all over the place?" asked Double D.

"Betty, there's someone over there!" the alien (Sparky) suddenly said. He was pointing at Abby, Ed, and Double D.

"Hmm?" asked the girl (Betty). She also saw the trio, and ran up to them. "Greetings!" she said. "Are you new Galactic Guardian recruits?"

"Betty!" said Sparky. "Don't just talk to them like this! For all we know, they could be sided with those…_things_!"

Betty turned toward the robot. "What do you think, X5?" she asked.

"Hmm…" said X5. "They're no threat to us, but I have no knowledge as to whether or not they're new recruits."

"Galactic Guardians?" asked Double D. "Some type of organization, perhaps?"

"Are you guys superheroes?" asked Ed.

"In a way," said Betty. "You see…"

"Oh no!" Sparky interrupted, pointing in another direction. "Here they come again!"

Abby, Double D, and Ed looked. A new group of Heartless was heading straight for them.

"Not again!" said Double D.

"Get ready!" said Abby, summoning the Keyblade.

Without even pausing to think, Abby, Double D, and Ed made quick work of the new Heartless swarm, to the amazement of Betty and her group.

When the dust cleared, all that was left were two different trios; one satisfied, one awestruck.

"You guys just slashed through those things like it was nothing!" Betty exclaimed. She grabbed Abby by the hand and began running toward the large building they were next to. "Come on! Admiral DeGill will want to know about this!"

"Admiral DeGill?" asked Double D, beginning to follow Betty and Abby.

"He's the leader of the Galactic Guardians," said Sparky. "Guess he can figure out what to do with your guys."

---

The next thing Abby, Ed, and Double D knew, they were standing in front of the one called Admiral DeGill. And to their surprise, the Admiral was…a talking fish wearing an Admiral's jacket.

"New recruits?" asked Admiral DeGill. "Impossible. I know every recruit in the Galactic Guardian Federation, and I've never seen these three in my life."

"Well, if you guys aren't Galactic Guardians, what _are _you?" asked Sparky.

"Whatever they are, their fighting skills are exceptional," said X5. "They'd be shoo-ins for Galactic Guardians."

"We come in peace, chief," Ed said to Admiral DeGill. "We're just here to look for the Keyhole."

"Ed!" Double D exclaimed.

However, this caught Admiral DeGill's attention. "The Keyhole?" he asked. Then, he looked at the Keyblade, which Abby happened to still have out.

"Well, my spaceship has some of the best tracking equipment in the Federation," said Betty. "Maybe we can help you find what you're looking for."

Suddenly, before anyone could say anything else, there was another BOOM that shook the entire building.

"Blast!" said Admiral DeGill. "Those creatures are still attacking. Atomic Betty, you and your team get back out there. I wish to speak to those three alone."

Betty hesitantly looked at Abby, but ultimately nodded in affirmation. "Yes, sir," she said, saluting the Admiral. With that, Betty, Sparky, and X5 headed back outside to help fight off the Heartless.

"Shouldn't we help, too?" asked Ed.

"Ed, weren't you listening?" asked Double D. "He wants to speak with us first."

Admiral DeGill looked at Abby, a serious expression on his face. "That weapon…is the _Keyblade_, isn't it?"

Even Abby was surprised that the Admiral knew about the Keyblade.

"There are many worlds in this universe that the Galactic Guardians have sworn to protect," the Admiral continued, "but if you're looking for the Keyhole, that means you are from another universe, and this girl is the Keybearer, correct?"

Abby sighed, looking defeated. "Yes," she said. "That's all true."

DeGill's expression turned grim. "As the Keybearer," he said, "you must already know that one must not meddle in the affairs of other worlds!"

Abby frowned. "Of course we know that," she said. "But…"

"There is no excuse for this," said Admiral DeGill. "What matters is that you have violated this principle. The Keybearer does nothing but shatter peace and bring ruin."

"What?!" asked Double D. "Admiral, I understand that you are concerned, but that's just…wrong!"

"Abby's not like that at all!" Ed protested.

Admiral DeGill sighed. "I will thank you for helping Betty and her group," he said. "I apologize, but there is no place for you three in my Federation. Please leave now."

Abby, Double D, and Ed were rendered shell-shocked by the Admiral's words, but also realized that his mind was made up. Defeated, they began to walk out of the Federation building.

---

"Well, _that _could have gone better," said Double D.

"He's concerned about the welfare of this world," said Abby. "You can't blame him."

"But Abby," said Ed. "He said all those mean things!"

"Yeah, he did," said Abby. "But when you get down to it, there's just nothing we can do."

Double D sighed. "That…just doesn't seem right somehow…"

"Abby! Guys!"

The trio looked up. Sparky and X5 were running toward them. They both looked worried.

"Hey, what's wrong?" asked Abby.

"Oh, it's bad. Real bad!" said Sparky, gasping for breath. "We're in big trouble!"

"We were fighting off an immensely large hoard of those Heartless creatures, when a group of them jumped Betty," said X5.

"What?!" asked Double D.

"So, Betty was taken by the Heartless?" asked Abby.

"Yes!" said Sparky. "But that's not the bad part!"

"But what could be worse than being taken by Heartless?" asked Ed.

"It's _where _they took Betty that worries us," said X5.

"Well, where was she taken?" asked Abby.

Sparky took one last deep breath.

"The Heartless took Betty to Maximus I.Q.'s ship!"


	17. Deep Space 2

Chapter 8: Deep Space, part 2

After learning that Betty was in trouble, Abby's group began to quickly follow Sparky and X-5, asking questions along the way.

"So this Maximus I.Q. is Betty's biggest enemy?" asked Double D.

"Yeah!" said Sparky. "And I'd bet anything that _he's _the one who's sending these Heartless things to attack the HQ!"

"He's targeted HQ before, but we've never experienced an attack like this from Maximus," said X-5. "He must have some really important motive for sending a full-out barrage like this…"

"Either way, if he's sending Heartless, we need to stop him," said Abby. "Even if Admiral DeGill doesn't like it, we can't just do nothing."

Ed looked over at Double D, and noticed that the wizard had an impressed look on his face.

"What is it, Double D?" asked Ed.

"Abby realizes what she has to do," said Double D. "I never thought I'd see the day…"

However, the moment was interrupted when another figure suddenly barreled through the group, knocking over Abby, Double D, and Sparky.

"Out of my way!" the figure yelled. "With the Heartless, I am invincible! I _will _find the Keyhole!"

As the figure ran away, the group was able to get a glimpse of him: the only way to really describe him was a person with pronounced feline-like features, wearing a long, red robe. He also had a crazed look in his eyes.

Just then, another figure ran through the group. This figure was much smaller than the first one. It also looked cat-like, but the most bizarre thing of all was that the figure had a sausage-shaped head, and he appeared to have a _face _on the back of his head.

"Wait for me, Master!" the second figure called out, seemingly to the first figure.

Meanwhile, the small group wasn't exactly sure to make of the scene. Then, Ed decided to break the silence.

"Was that a talking cat?" the knight asked.

"That was Maximus!" said Sparky, jumping up. "And his minion, Minimus! What are they doing now?!"

"Something really bad."

The group turned around. There, seemingly unharmed, was Betty.

"Betty!" Sparky exclaimed.

"Are you injured?" asked X-5.

"No, I'm fine," she said. "Maximus and those Heartless tried to take me back to Maximus' ship, but I was able to escape. But…something's not right with Maximus. I think he's looking for the Keyhole you guys are looking for!"

"So he would wreck HQ to look for the Keyhole?" asked Abby.

"I wouldn't put it past him," said Betty. "Especially not now."

"Well, what are we waiting for?!" said Sparky. "Let's go get Maximus!"

"Wait for us, talking cat!" Ed called out.

The two trios ran as fast as they could in the same direction Maximus and Minimus ran.

---

"Where does this path lead?" Abby asked as they ran.

"The hangar," said Betty. "That's where the Galactic Guardian spaceships are held."

"That area's also fitted with a top-of-the-line security system," said X-5. "I'm not sure if Maximus will be able to get past that or not."

Just then, the group spotted someone up ahead, sitting on the side of the path. Upon closer inspection, it turned out to be Maximus' minion, Minimus.

"Minimus!" said Betty. "Where's Maximus?"

The little cat-like creature looked up. "He's in the hangar, looking for that Keyhole thing," he said in a tiny, meek voice. "I really don't know much. Master's just been acting so weird lately…"

"So you've also noticed that this Maximus character has had a change in demeanor?" asked Double D.

"Yes," said Minimus. "He was just fine until some time ago. He was making new robots and thinking of new plans to take over the HQ…"

Suddenly, Minimus' head swiveled around, revealing the face on the back of his head. This face was much more sinister-looking than the other face.

"But then that Aku guy came with those Heartless creatures, and all of a sudden, he's goin' on about that Keyhole thing, and how he'll become invincible thanks to the Darkness, and all this other mess of words!" The new face of Minimus spoke in a gruff annoyed voice.

Then, as fast as the faces switched the first time, they switched back again.

"What's wrong with Master?" Minimus once again spoke in that small, meek voice.

"We have a pretty good idea of what happened," said Abby. "But we need to get to Maximus."

"Go ahead," said a defeated Minimus. "I don't care anymore. I want the old Master back."

With that, the group continued toward the hangar, leaving Minimus behind.

---

Soon, the group found themselves in front of a large set of sliding doors on a building near the back of HQ.

"This is it?" asked Abby.

"Yes," said Betty. "He's got to be in here."

"If the security system hasn't stopped him, we'll have to ourselves," said X-5.

"But if he's not in his right mind, there's no telling what will happen," Double D spoke up.

"Then we'll just have to be prepared for anything he can throw at us," said Betty, reaching for the doors.

Then, both trios burst into the hangar, only to find Maximus hunched over on a small staircase, which led to a control panel on the wall in the spaceship-filled room, which presumably controlled the security system.

"Maximus, stop!" Betty called to the feline-like figure. "You don't know what you're doing!"

Maximus slowly turned around. To everyone's surprise, his eyes no longer had pupils.

"_I…don't know what I'm doing?_" Maximus hissed. He whirled around so he was facing the group. "_You pathetic fools…_"

At that moment, the security system seemed to whir to life…but not toward Maximus.

The next thing the group knew, large lasers had emerged from the ceiling, and large, live electrical wires coiled out from the walls, weaving through the spaceships.

"_I rule this universe now!_" Maximus proclaimed. "_This world and all its spoils shall bow down to me!!_"

With that, the lasers began shooting multiple rounds, while the giant electric wires slammed down, attempting to hit the group.

Abby's group jumped one way, while Betty's group jumped another.

"Anyone have any ideas?!" Abby called out.

"Working on it," said X-5. "We've never had the security system go haywire like this before."

"Shouldn't we stop the machines from attacking us first?" asked Ed.

"We'd need to find some way to shut off the security system!" Sparky called out.

While dodging, Betty was able to get glimpses around the room. She saw Maximus, who was now laughing crazily on the platform in front of the security system's control panel. She also saw the numerous Galactic Guardian spaceships parked around the room.

That's when Betty remembered something. While dodging another wire, she pushed a button on her bracelet.

Suddenly, a spaceship in the far-left corner of the room lurched forward, slamming into the platform Maximus stood on. Maximus toppled over, almost falling down the stairs.

Now that Maximus was out of the way, Betty pushed another button on her bracelet. She shot a laser that hit the control panel head-on, breaking the security system and causing the attacks on the group to stop.

"Good thing I parked our spaceship back in the corner," said Betty.

Maximus looked back at the now-ruined control panel, before looking back at the group. And he was_ livid_.

"_YOU'LL REGRET THIS!_" the enraged cat yelled, lunging toward the group.

The group jumped back again.

"Okay, we stopped the security system," said Abby. "Now what?!"

"I'm not sure!" Betty said back. "We've never fought Maximus when he's this mad before."

"Might I consider using a distraction?" asked X-5. "Perhaps he'll calm down if we do something that will take his mind off the anger."

The wheels in Double D's mind began to turn. Then, his eyes lit up; he had an idea.

"_Blizzard! Fire!_" Double D yelled out. The two spells shot out from Double D's wand, one after the other. The Fire spell quickly combined with the Blizzard spell to make…

SPLASH!

Maximus stopped dead in his tracks. The spells had hit him dead-on, covering him in…

"Water?" asked Ed. "Why'd you do that, Double D?"

"Well, he's a cat, so I just figured…" Double D trailed off.

"No, that's good!" said Betty. "Maximus hates water!"

Sure enough, poor Maximus didn't seem to know what to do. He just stood there, shivering and sputtering as water dripped off his fur and his robe.

So he didn't notice when Abby snuck behind him, and pointed the Keyblade at his back.

"_Thunder_."

ZAP!

A quick shock to his soaked back, and Maximus was facedown on the floor.

Betty, Sparky, and X-5 seemed surprised by what Abby had done.

"Sorry," Abby said. "But it wouldn't be good if he went berserk again. That was just a small jolt to knock him out."

Betty sighed. "Okay, as long as he's not seriously hurt."

"I can't believe I'm saying this," said Sparky, "but I think I like the old Maximus better."

"But what happened that caused him to lose control like that?" asked X-5. "This is quite puzzling."

"It could be because he was given a good amount of power over the Heartless," said Double D. "If you have a weak heart, and you expose yourself that long to Darkness, it could have devastating results. Basically, it does not bode well."

"It doesn't look good either!" said Ed.

"Is it over?"

Abby, Betty, and the others looked back at the hangar door. Minimus was peeking inside. When he saw Maximus, he started, and ran over to his fallen boss.

"Oh, Master!" he exclaimed. "It looks like you got beaten bad!" Then, Minimus' head whirled around, revealing the gruff face. "But what else is new?" he ground out. His head swiveled back again. "I guess I'll take it from here," he said, slinging his boss' upper body over his tiny shoulder. "Um…don't tell Maximus I said this, but…thank you, Atomic Betty."

Then, he ran as fast as his little legs could carry him, along with a scorched Maximus.

Betty still looked at the hangar doors. "So is he really okay?" she asked.

"I'm sure things will go back to normal here once we seal off the world from the Heartless," said Abby. "Which reminds me…we still need to find the Keyhole."

"Well, I'm sure if we explain all this to Admiral DeGill, he'll understand," said Sparky.

"There will be no need for that."

The group was alerted to another voice on the other side of the hangar. Emerging from a new door was Admiral DeGill.

"I was a witness to the whole spectacle," said the Admiral. "And I must say, I don't believe I've ever seen Maximus lose control like that. I had no idea that he would be so tainted by those evil forces. Atomic Betty, I thank you and your group for defending the Headquarters of the Galactic Guardians." He then turned to Abby, Ed, and Double D. "As for you three…I owe you an apology. Galactic Guardians are instructed not to judge others, and I seem to have violated my own rule. I am truly sorry for my behavior earlier."

Admiral DeGill then walked over to a tapestry that was hanging on the wall, near the platform with the control panel.

"Keybearer, I only have one last request…seal the Keyhole." He pulled a cord hanging down next to the tapestry, which bore the Galactic Guardian insignia. The piece of cloth rose, revealing a Keyhole in the wall.

Abby smiled, then raised the Keyblade. Like all the other times she had used it, a beam shot out, straight at the Keyhole. As the beam hit, a clicking noise was heard, and the Keyhole disappeared.

"Wow," said Sparky.

"I must say, I've never experienced such a phenomenon such as that," said X-5. "I can't help but question if there's any scientific performance involved…"

"Well, looks like you guys finally found what you were looking for," said Betty.

"Yep!" said Ed.

"Well, we couldn't have done it without your help," said Double D.

"Same here," said Betty. "Anytime you guys wanna come and help us out again, it's all right with me."

"That's good to know," said Abby, taking something out of the bag on her belt. It was the friendship bracelet with the atom charm. "Thank you, Betty," she said, holding it out to the Galactic Guardian.

Betty smiled and took the bracelet. "Why, you're welcome," she said.

"I second Betty's declaration," Admiral DeGill spoke up. "You are welcome to give assistance to us anytime." He turned to Abby. "But mark me, Keybearer. If mishandled, the Keyblade can bring misfortune. Wield it with caution."

Abby nodded. "Got it."

With that, Abby, Ed, and Double D headed back to the Gummi Ship, waving goodbye to their new intergalactic friends.


	18. Halloween Town 1

**Author's Note**: Happy (day after) Halloween! And in honor of the holiday, I give you the latest chapter of _Kingdom of Earth_, which takes place in none other than Halloween Town! And just so you know, this story is _not _in the same timeline as my Ed Edd n Eddy/Nightmare Before Christmas stories, so Ed and Double D will _not _be familiar with Halloween Town. Happy reading! ;)-**AMX

* * *

**

Chapter 9: Halloween Town, part 1

"Hmm…" Double D stared at the maps the Gummi Ship projected. "It appears the next nearest town is called…Halloween Town." He paused. "Oh my…"

"Let's go there!" said Ed, suddenly very excited. "Oh boy, oh boy, oh boy…"

Double D sighed, obviously not sharing his companion's enthusiasm. "All right, all right…let me make sure we're on course…"

After he made sure the Gummi Ship was on the right path, Double D cast a glance back at Abby. She was holding another new friendship bracelet; this one was strung with alternating black and white beads, with a large orange pumpkin charm. However, Double D noticed something else: Abby appeared to be staring off into space.

"Abby?" he asked. "Are you okay?"

Abby snapped to attention at the wizard's voice. "Huh?" she asked. "Oh…yeah, I guess. It's just…I can't shake this feeling that something's going to happen. Something…big. I guess I'm just a little restless." She put the new friendship bracelet in the bag on her belt.

"Well, we have been sitting in here for a long time," said Double D. "I'm sure you'll feel better once we get out and stretch our legs."

"We're going to Halloween Town, Abby!" said Ed.

"Really?" the psychic asked. "I have to admit…that does sound like fun."

"Now, we're probably going to stand out if we go there in our regular attire," said Double D, "so I'll use my magic to change our appearances again."

"Yay!" said Ed.

"You seem excited, Ed," said Abby. "You like Halloween?"

"You have no idea," said Double D. "Prepare to land!"

---

"Wow," said Abby, looking around the new world. "You definitely can't accuse this place of false advertising."

It was true; the entire place looked completely like some land out of a horror movie. The appearance, the colors, the whole _vibe_…everything just screamed "Halloween."

And so did the trio's costumes. Abby's costume consisted of a bright red dress riddled with dark red lines, lined with feathered black trim across the shoulder line and the bottom of the dress. She also wore gray gloves that went past her elbow, lined with the same feather trim, gray tights riddled with jagged black lines, small bat wings on her back, and black ballet shoes. For added measure, a black strip of cloth was wrapped over her right eye, and tiny fangs poked out from inside her mouth. She still had pigtails, but the hair usually in three long bunches was undone, letting the rest of her black hair trail down her back.

"Abby makes for a good vampiress-ess-ess," said Ed. He was dressed in a gray monster costume that obviously looked homemade: it had four long tentacles lined with saucer suction-cups and kitchen utensils on the ends, a white red-and-blue polka-dot belly, and a giant monster head with pincers and bug eyes that covered Ed's own head.

"Now Ed, I want you to behave yourself," said Double D, who was wrapped head to toe in white tape; he was a simple mummy. "We certainly don't want a repeat of what happened the last time you wore that thing." (**A/N**: E.g. _The Day the Ed Stood Still_)

"I'll be a good monster, Double D," said Ed.

Double D then got a good look at the group's surroundings. "Goodness," he said. "The inhabitants here certainly spare no expense in terms of authentic looking décor. And I'm guessing the people themselves will be just as spooky-looking…"

"Aw, come on Double D!" said Ed. "We look spooky-looking, too! If they scare you, we'll just scare them right back!"

Double D looked at his friends. He noticed that Abby didn't look fazed, either. "Well, Ed I can understand, but why don't _you_ seem scared, Abby?"

"Well…" said Abby. "I've always liked Halloween. Probably because not too many things surprise me. 'Cause I'm usually able to tell when things are coming; it's the clairvoyant part of my psychic abilities. So…I guess I'm just used to it."

"I see…" said Double D. "Well, in any case, we better start looking around. Chances are there's a Keyhole around here somewhere."

---

The trio followed the nearest path (which, to Double D's dismay, led through a patch of gravestones), and soon found themselves in a residential area; a macabre-looking area, but a residential area nonetheless. There were houses lining the streets, and a large fountain spraying green water was in the center of it all.

There was also something else there: a group of Ghost Heartless.

The trio immediately got their weapons ready for battle, but stopped when they realized something: the Heartless were making no move to attack them. Instead, they seemed to be wandering about the town, completely oblivious to the trio.

"Huh?" asked Abby. "Why aren't they noticing us?"

"Maybe the awesomeness overload of this place fried their brains!" Ed suggested.

Double D gave a clearly exasperated look toward his friend. "Yes, well, I highly doubt that's the case," he said. "But, these Heartless clearly aren't acting like the others we've encountered. I wonder why…?"

Another person entering the scene suddenly interrupted the group. He was a little man wearing a black suit with a badge that said "Mayor" on it. He also wore a long, thin top hat on his cone-shaped head, which wore a big grin. The Mayor stopped next to the fountain, and held up a megaphone to his mouth. The Heartless seemed to take this as a cue, as they suddenly stopped wandering around and lined up in front of the fountain.

"And now…" the Mayor spoke through the megaphone, "allow me to introduce the Master of Terror…the King of Nightmares…Jack Skellington!"

The Heartless all waved their hands toward the fountain as…something…began to rise out of the fountain's water. When it fully rose out of the fountain, the trio immediately saw what it was: a _very _tall skeleton wearing a black pinstripe suit and a bow tie that looked like a bat. As he fully emerged, the skeleton struck a dramatic pose.

Ed was, needless to say, impressed. "COOL!" he proclaimed.

"Bravo, Jack, bravo!" the Mayor cheered, running up to the skeleton. "Those ghosts will be a big hit at this year's Halloween!"

"Thank you, thank you!" said the skeleton, Jack. He stepped out of the fountain. "But their movement still needs work," he continued, gesturing toward the Heartless. "It's not scary enough. I want to strike bone-chilling terror!" He struck a scary pose for a few seconds, and then straightened up again. "I'm going to consult the doctor!" Jack proclaimed, walking off toward a group of houses.

"Then I'll go attend to the decorations!" the Mayor proclaimed. He began to run around the Town Square.

Meanwhile, the trio had been watching the spectacle in silence. At that point, Ed was too caught up in Halloween euphoria to utter a coherent sentence, so Abby and Double D started talking.

"My, they certainly take this…art form seriously," said Double D. "What should we do, Abby?"

Meanwhile, Abby was looking in the direction where Jack had headed. "Well, I can't help but wonder what Jack wants to consult this doctor about," she said. "I think I'm going to see what he's doing."

"By yourself?" asked Double D. "Are you sure splitting up is a good idea? You remember what happened the last time we did that…"

Abby sighed. She definitely remembered; ever since she had that dream with Galleria, it was burned into her brain. "Yeah, I know," she said. "But right now, we don't have any leads on how to get rid of the Heartless here. When you get right down to it…we need to take any leads we can find."

Double D pondered this, and then sighed. "Well…okay," he said. "If you think you'll be okay on your own." He looked over at Ed, who was still out of his mind…maybe not back in five minutes. "I'll try to make Ed come back to Earth and we'll see if we can find anything here."

Abby smiled. "Good luck," she said. She then headed in the same direction the group saw Jack going.

---

Abby's walking led her to a large building that distinctly looked like a laboratory. She quietly made her way into it (although not without questioning why she didn't have more hesitation in just entering somebody's house), and soon found a doorway to hide behind. And for good reason: Jack, and a small man with a large, round head and a lab coat, sitting in a wheelchair, was in the next room.

"I don't understand, Dr. Finkelstein," said Jack. "Maybe one of our guidance systems was damaged in the explosion?"

"Nonsense," said the scientist, Dr. Finkelstein. "My devices are always perfect!"

"Oh! I've got it!" Jack's face lit up. "Of course! The Heartless need a heart!" Abby was able to peek out far enough from her hiding spot to see that a Ghost Heartless was lying on a reclining table. "Doctor, do you think we could add a heart to the device?"

"Certainly," the Doctor answered. "A heart's not that complicated. Let's get to work."

Jack walked over to a large book that was in the room and began to read from it. "To make a heart," he read, "first take a container with a lock…"

As Jack read, Dr. Finkelstein took out a large heart that appeared to have been stitched together with cloth. Abby also saw something else from where she was hiding: the cloth heart had a Keyhole on it.

"We need the key to this thing, first!" the Doctor suddenly exclaimed.

With a soft glow, Abby summoned the Keyblade. '_It wouldn't hurt to unlock it for them,_' Abby reasoned in her head. '_If they succeed, the guys and I won't have to fight the Heartless anymore. Plus…_' Abby paused to aim the Keyblade at the heart's Keyhole. '_…I wouldn't mind seeing the Heartless dance._'

What Abby _didn't _expect was the small beam that emerged from the Keyblade, hitting the Keyhole and making that all-too-familiar clicking sound. Needless to say, any further plans of remaining inconspicuous were gone; Jack and the Doctor could clearly see where Abby was poking out from her hiding place. Abby sheepishly walked out into the open, seeing that there was no point in hiding anymore.

"Oh!" Jack exclaimed, walking over to Abby, gazing at the Keyblade the whole time. "My, that was amazing!" He paused. "Uh, and you are…?"

"Abby," the psychic girl answered, more than a little embarrassed.

"Well done, Abby," said Jack. "I'd like you to be a part of this year's Halloween."

All the awkwardness Abby was feeling flew away with that statement. "Really?!" she asked, suddenly excited ('_I think I've been around Ed for too long,_' she thought). But she immediately calmed down when she saw the Heartless on the table. "Oh…if you don't mind my asking…what's this Heartless doing here?"

"Oh, the Heartless came to town just recently," Jack explained. "What's frustrating is I can't get them to dance with me. So the Doctor and I are attempting to improve the guidance system. He's quite a genius!" Jack turned back to the wheelchair-bound scientist. "Okay Doctor, let's continue. The ingredients for a heart: pulse, emotion…"

"Terror…" the Doctor continued.

"Fear…hope and despair…" Jack chimed back in. "Mix them all together…and we have a heart!"

Meanwhile, Abby watched from the sidelines. She couldn't help but admire Jack's enthusiasm for everything, but…a croaking frog, a spider, nails screeching on a chalkboard, and two snakes eating each other's tails to form a ring? She couldn't help but be doubtful…

And Abby's suspicions were confirmed when Dr. Finkelstein pulled a switch; a bolt of electricity shot through some wires and straight into the Heartless. It looked successful at first (the Heartless actually sat up), but all those hopes were dashed when a small explosion rocked the building, and smoke wafted up from the Heartless.

"It failed!" the Doctor cried. His expression then went back to thoughtful. "Maybe we're missing some ingredients. Let's try adding memory." Then, to Abby's surprise, the Doctor _opened up the top of his head_ and poked his brain. "Sally?" the Doctor called out. "Sally!" He still got no response. "Good-for-nothing girl!" the Doctor exclaimed, slamming his head shut. "Don't know why I bothered creating her!" He turned to Jack. "Sally's got the memory we need. See if you can find her."

"No problem," said Jack. "Abby, would you like to come along?"

Abby smiled. "Okay," she said. But suddenly, something else caught Abby's attention. She was picking up the presences of Double D and Ed…and something wasn't right.

Jack noticed the abrupt change in Abby's mood. "Is something wrong?" he asked.

Abby sighed. "Sorry Jack," she said, "but I think my friends need my help!"

With that, Abby ran out of Dr. Finkelstein's lab and straight back to the town square.

---

It was a good thing she did. This time, the Heartless really _were_ attacking. And Double D, Ed (who had snapped back to his senses), and the Mayor (who was now sporting a pessimistic face) were right in the thick of it all.

Abby began to slash her way through the Heartless with the Keyblade. "What happened?!" she called to Double D.

"Abby!" the wizard exclaimed as he rattled off spells. "Oh, I'm not sure! They were just fine until a minute ago. Then we heard this explosion over in the direction you went, and they all just started attacking!"

"I don't want to be a part of this Halloween, Abby!" Ed exclaimed.

Suddenly, a large group of lightning bolts shot down, wiping out the rest of the Heartless.

Abby was visibly surprised. "Wow…" she said.

"Nice shot, Double D," said Ed.

But Double D looked just as bewildered as everyone else. "But…I didn't do that," he said.

"Oh my. How did this happen?"

Abby turned around, only to find Jack right behind her. Ed became ecstatic again.

"Jack…did you do that?" Abby asked.

"Of course," the skeleton replied. "You didn't think my magic was just for show, did you?"

"It looks cool either way!" Ed called out.

The Mayor was also happy to see Jack. "Jack, Jack!" he cried. "We have a major crisis! The Heartless just went completely out of control! We couldn't stop them!"

"Hmm…" said Jack. "Maybe our experiment triggered something. Everything will be fine, Mayor. You have nothing to worry about."

Double D sighed. "Only one skeleton's opinion…"

"Anyway, I was just about to go to the Graveyard to look for Sally," said Jack. "Since you three seem to be skilled in fighting the Heartless, I wouldn't mind if you accompanied me."

"Okay!" said Ed.

"Ed, don't be so impulsive!" said Double D.

"It's okay," said Abby. "I already said I would go with him anyway."

"COOL!" said Ed. He began running in the direction of the Graveyard. "Skeletons, ghosts, and Heartless, oh my! Skeletons, ghosts, and Heartless, oh my…"

Double D sighed. "Please excuse Ed," he said to Jack. "He tends to be a little too enthusiastic when it comes to this holiday…"

"Not at all," said Jack, going in the same direction as Ed had gone. "Anyone who's _that _excited about Halloween is okay in my book."

Abby and Double D exchanged shrugs, then followed the knight and the skeleton.

---

But, a few ways down the path, Ed ran back to the group. At this point, they were in the Graveyard.

"What's wrong?" asked Abby.

"Too many," said Ed, pointing toward the graves.

Abby, Double D, and Jack immediately saw what Ed meant: the Graveyard was swarming with Heartless.

"We should probably take care of them first," said Abby.

"Works for me," said Jack.

"Oh, more physical activity…" said Double D, taking out his staff.

"PREPARE TO MEET YOUR MAKER!" Ed yelled, lunging at the Heartless.

Soon enough, with Abby and Ed smacking away combined with Double D and Jack's magic, the Graveyard was clear of Heartless.

Suddenly, a new face appeared. A small ghost dog emerged from one of the graves. It looked happy to see Jack.

"Zero, do you know where Sally is?" asked Jack.

The ghost dog, Zero, flew over to another grave, and ducked behind it. A small squeak of surprise emerged from behind the grave, followed by the person who made it. It was a blue-skinned living rag doll. She had red hair, stitches all over her body, and was wearing a patchwork dress.

"Is something wrong, Jack?" the rag doll asked.

"No, everything's going great, Sally," said Jack, walking up to the rag doll. "We're going to have the best Halloween ever! All we need is your memory."

"Memory?" asked Sally. "You mean…this?" She held up a shriveled flower.

"Uh…that is a plant," Ed said, pointing at it.

"Correction, Ed," said Double D. "A Forget-Me-Not. That explains how it could be used as a metaphorical memory."

But Ed just sported a blank look on his face. "I have no idea what you said, Double D."

Jack took the Forget-Me-Not from Sally. However, Sally didn't look impressed.

"Jack, I really have a bad feeling about all this," she said to the skeleton. "Why don't you try something else? You still have time…"

"Nothing can beat what I've got planned!" Jack proclaimed, holding up the flower. "Once we give the Heartless a heart, they'll dance, just as I envisioned it!" But Sally still didn't look convinced. "Trust me," Jack said to her. "You're going to love it!" He then turned back to the path toward Town Square. "Now then…back to the Doctor's lab!" He began walking back.

"We get to play Mad Scientist, Double D!" Ed exclaimed, following Jack.

Double D sighed. "Running in head-first, literally, as usual…" he muttered as he followed them, along with Abby.

After a few moments, Sally followed the group out of the Graveyard as well.

But what none of them knew was this: three certain somebodies were listening in on the conversation.

Suddenly, a coffin in the Graveyard began to shake, and the door slid off it. Three little kids jumped out: a boy dressed as a devil, a girl dressed as a witch, and another boy dressed as a skeleton.

"Lock!"

"Shock!"

"Barrel!"

The three kids landed on the ground and huddled close to one another.

"Did you hear that?" asked the skeleton boy, Barrel.

"I sure did! A heart!" said the devil boy, Lock. "What should we do?"

"Gosh, you really are stupid!" said the witch girl, Shock. "Isn't it obvious?"

"Tell Oogie Boogie!" said Barrel.

The three kids erupted into laughter, and began to run down another path, which appeared to lead to a very spooky-looking Tree House…


	19. Halloween Town 2

Chapter 9: Halloween Town, part 2

Abby, Double D, and Jack watched as Dr. Finkelstein inspected the Forget-Me-Not they had delivered. Why not Ed, you ask? Because Ed switched right back into Halloween Euphoria Mode when he saw the interior of Dr. Finkelstein's Lab.

"Yes, this is right," said the Doctor. "Now we just need one more ingredient…surprise." He looked at the group. "Go find the Mayor. He should know where it is."

With that, Jack and Abby headed back outside, followed by Double D, who had to half-drag a deliriously giggling Ed out of the lab by his monster tail.

---

Meanwhile, Lock, Shock, and Barrel were cowering in front of their boss. Surprisingly, they were actually having second thoughts about telling him about what his archrival, Jack Skellington, was up to.

"A heart?" Oogie Boogie bellowed. "That bonehead Jack is really making a heart? Well, I'll be jiggered. Works for me! Oh, when I get that hands on…!" He suddenly stopped, realizing something. "Oh, well…I've got no hands. But I'm still gonna nab that heart and take control of the Heartless!"

He then let out a heart-stopping bout of maniacal laughter that did not sit well with the trio of brats. Even _they _knew that only one thing could come from Oogie Boogie being in this kind of a mood: trouble.

---

Dr. Finkelstein was still tinkering with the hand-made heart when Jack and the trio returned. "Did you find it?" he asked the group.

"Yep!" said Ed, who was holding a Jack-In-The-Box. "We found a clown in the box. But…he's hiding now." He turned the crank a couple times, and the clown suddenly popped out. "There he is!"

"Yes, this is it," said the Doctor, taking the toy from Ed. He wheeled over and sat the Jack-In-The-Box with the other ingredients. "There you go," he said. "Now it's sure to work." He picked up the heart, and began to wheel over to the machine the heart was in before.

Then, suddenly…

"YAH!"

Barrel shot out from underneath the reclining table, right in the path of Dr. Finkelstein's wheelchair.

"WHOA!" The Doctor toppled over, falling out of his chair and tossing the heart up into the air.

The heart sailed through the air, over Double D's head (he was standing closest to the door). And it landed right into the waiting arms of Lock and Shock. And they, along with Barrel, ran out of the lab with the heart.

"Hey!" said Ed, running toward the door, along with Double D, Abby, and Jack.

The group ran outside, but there was no sign of the three brats.

"We lost them!" Abby exclaimed.

"Oh, not good…" said Double D.

Jack looked around. Then, he patted his thigh twice. Zero flew in from the direction of the Graveyard, right up to his owner.

"Zero, after them, quick!" Jack exclaimed.

Zero immediately picked up the scent of the three brats, and led the group to the Graveyard, down a new path.

---

Soon, the group noticed the three brats, riding in…a _walking bathtub_…toward a large building that looked like a cross between a mansion and a tree house.

The group stopped in front of a bridge just outside the Mansion.

"I knew Oogie Boogie was behind this!" Jack exclaimed.

"What's an Oogie Boogie?" asked Ed.

"Not what, who," Jack answered. "He's an unappealing, ruthless character who's always causing trouble for the rest of us in Halloween Town." He began to march right up to the mansion.

"Oh my," said Double D, suddenly extremely unnerved. "Uh…any chance we can sit this…one…out?"

But it was to no avail. Abby and Ed were already following Jack up to the Mansion.

Double D sighed. "I'll take that as a 'no'," he said, following the rest of the group.

---

When the group entered the Mansion, they found that there wasn't much there.

"Well, it seems okay so far," said Abby.

"Boring!" said Ed. "I've seen libraries that are scarier."

"Ed…" Double D began. But he was suddenly interrupted.

"Hold it!" Lock exclaimed, jumping out.

"If you wanna get to Oogie…" Shock continued, also jumping out.

"…You have to go through us first!" Barrel finished, jumping out last.

The group looked at each other. Then, Abby looked at the brats. Suddenly, the three little kids were lifted a few inches off the ground, and then tossed into the nearest wall (not enough to seriously hurt them, mind you).

The kids were clearly spooked. "H-how did you do that?" asked Lock.

"Abby can throw stuff with her mind!" said Ed. "A good psycho, she is."

"That's _psychic_, Ed," Double D corrected. "Quite the useful abilities if the situation asks for it."

Jack walked up to the brats. "Now then, what did you do with the heart?" he asked.

"We were just following orders!" Shock exclaimed. "Oogie told us to steal the heart! This is all Barrel's fault! It was his idea to tell Oogie about the heart!"

"Yeah, that's right!" Lock agreed.

"B-but…" Barrel tried to protest, "…you guys said…"

"You should be ashamed of yourself!" Shock exclaimed.

The group immediately lost interest in the brats.

"Well, while you three figure that out…" said Jack. He turned to Abby, Ed, and Double D. "If they don't have the heart anymore, they may have already given it to Oogie! We have to hurry!" He began to run down a nearby staircase, which presumably led to Oogie.

"That's all I need to hear," said Abby, following Jack.

"Oh…must we rush into this without a plan?" asked Double D.

"We must save the spirit of Halloween, Double D!" Ed exclaimed, picking up the wizard and following Abby and Jack down the stairs.

---

The next thing Abby, Jack, Ed, and Double D knew, they were standing in front of a giant roulette wheel, with Oogie Boogie standing on the other side. Not only that, Oogie was holding the hand-made heart.

"Oogie Boogie, give me back the heart!" Jack exclaimed.

"You want it?" Oogie asked. "Well, come on over and get it!" Then, without warning, he took the heart and _swallowed it_!

By this point, the group had climbed down onto the roulette wheel platform, watching the spectacle.

Abby was taken aback. "Well, _that _could be a problem," she said.

"_Could be_?" an exasperated Double D repeated.

"Now, then…let's see if I can get their attention," said Oogie. "Oh, HEARTLESS!"

Sure enough, Heartless _did _arrive. But…there were only two of them, one appearing on each side of Oogie.

Needless to say, the group was unimpressed.

"Oh my," said Jack.

"What a rip-off!" exclaimed Ed.

Oogie also was clearly not pleased. "This…is it?" he asked, shocked. Then, anger began to spout out of the bag of bugs like a teapot. "Nobody disrespects me! NOBODY!"

Suddenly, the roulette wheel creaked to life, and began slowly picking up speed as it spun. Oogie still stood above the group, and Heartless began to form on the roulette wheel.

"Any suggestions?" Double D asked as he held his stomach and cast spells at the same time.

"Oogie may act tough, but his body's very easy to damage," Jack yelled back. "If we can just hit him at every opportunity we can get, he'll be down in no time!"

Suddenly, Oogie tossed something at the group. It looked like a large gambling die. Ed caught it.

Ed looked at the die. "Hot Potato!" he exclaimed. Then, he threw it back to Oogie.

To the group's surprise, the die exploded as soon as it hit Oogie.

"HEY!" the sack of bugs yelled.

Abby slashed through another Heartless with the Keyblade. "I think we found our advantage," she said.

"In that case, we should execute it!" said Double D said, at this point struggling to stand up.

So that's what happened. Abby, Ed, Double D, and Jack fought off the Heartless on the roulette wheel, all while tossing back the dice Oogie threw at them. Every die seemed to do damage to the sack of bugs.

Then, Ed saw a thread dangling down near Oogie. And of course, since he was Ed, he couldn't help but grab it as he swung around on the roulette wheel.

"Look what I found!" Ed exclaimed, holding up the thread.

But what he didn't know was that the thread was what kept Oogie sewn together. So as Ed spun, the thread shot out of Oogie's seams until it snagged.

This seemed to have an effect on the roulette wheel, as it stopped with an abrupt jerk.

Abby, Double, and Jack had gotten rid of all the Heartless, and were now free to look at what happened to Oogie.

Apparently, enough thread had been removed from Oogie's body to not properly hold him together. Suddenly, the giant walking sack burst open, and a large pile of bugs spilled out. As this was happening, Oogie was screaming in pain.

Soon, the sack that was Oogie was completely empty, and all the bugs had crawled away. All that was left was the hand-made heart.

Ed grinned. "Cool," he said.

"That may be the most disgusting thing I've ever seen," said Double D.

Jack sighed, then walked over and picked up the heart. "So, the heart was a failure after all," he said.

"Now now…" said Double D. "I'm sure the Doctor can provide us with an explanation. Shall we?"

Ed looked at the thread, then back at the retreating group. "Aww…" he said.

---

"Well, I'm glad _that's_ over," said Abby as the group walked away from the Mansion.

"I'm not!" said Ed. "That place was cool."

"What's important is that Oogie is no longer a threat," said Jack. "And hopefully, the Heartless, too."

Double D was about to chime in, when he was interrupted by the ground shaking. "Do you hear something?" he asked.

The group turned back to the Mansion. Needless to say, it looked a _little _different. It now looked like the house had merged with Oogie himself! It was even glowing black!

"Whoa!" Abby exclaimed. "How'd he get so big?"

"Look at that!" Jack pointed at the Oogie Mansion. The group could just make out big, black globs planted on the house. "It's brimming with darkness! Oogie must be drawing power from those dark globs."

"So if we destroy those…things…we'll stop it?" asked Abby.

"YAY!" Ed exclaimed, running toward the nearest dark glob.

"Oh…" said Double D. "I suppose that's the only solution to the problem. If we attack all the globs at once, we should be able to vanquish it!"

Abby, Jack, and Double D followed Ed and ran to the nearest globs they could reach, and focused all their powers on the masses of Darkness.

After a few hits from Abby and Ed, and a few spells from Double D and Jack, the Darkness globs were gone. And the Mansion began to creak uncertainly.

"I suggest we get off the premises…right now!" Double D exclaimed.

It was a good thing they did; as soon as the group got past the bridge, the entire Mansion collapsed on itself.

All four members of the group breathed a sigh of relief.

"Is that it?" asked Jack.

Suddenly, Abby sensed something. "No," she said. "One last thing."

Abby quietly walked back over to the Mansion remains with the Keyblade. Standing in front of the wreckage, Abby raised the Keyblade in front of her; as she did, a golden outline that took the shape of a Keyhole appeared in front of her. As usual, a beam shot out of the Keyblade, hitting the Keyhole and making a clicking noise. Then, the Keyhole faded back into the dirt.

"My goodness…" said Jack, who was stunned by the display before him. "You're all just full of surprises aren't you?"

"Can we go back to the Lab now?" asked Ed.

"I believe we can, Ed," said Double D. But then, the wizard noticed something odd; Abby was taking extremely deep breaths, as if she were having difficulty. "Abby, are you okay? You seem winded."

"What?" asked Abby. When she noticed that Ed, Double D, and Jack were giving her concerned looks, she immediately stood up straight. "Oh! It's nothing; those battles must have just taken more out of me than I thought. I'm okay."

The other three looked uncertain, but seemed to take the excuse. With that, the group headed back to Dr. Finkelstein's Lab. What they didn't notice, however, was that whenever nobody was looking, Abby was staggering a little…

---

Back in the Doctor's Lab, Sally had been waiting for the group. Jack looked at his ragdoll friend with an ashamed expression.

"Sally…why didn't I listen to you?" Jack asked.

Sally walked up to the skeleton. "Don't feel bad, Jack," she said. "We'll come up with a new plan for Halloween." She took Jack's bony hands in her clothed ones. "Next time, we'll do it together."

This lifted Jack's spirits a little bit. "I think I'd like that very much," he said. "If you'll excuse me, there's something I still need to do." He walked back toward the Lab's door. As Sally stared at the back of her skeleton friend, she couldn't help but smile.

When Jack came back outside, he was greeted with quite a sight: Abby was on her knees on the ground, breathing heavily. Ed and Double D were gathered around her, looking worried.

"What happened?" asked Jack.

"Nothing," said Abby. "I tripped." She shakily got up.

"Tripped?" Double D whispered to Ed. "It looked like she collapsed to me…"

But Jack seemed to buy it. "Oh," he said. "Well, either way, I guess we have no choice. Until we get everything straightened out, we'll have to cancel the Heartless Halloween."

Abby walked over to Jack, a small smile on her face. "Don't worry, Jack," she said, taking something off her belt bag. It was the Pumpkin Friendship Bracelet. "You're going to be just fine." She held the bracelet out to Jack.

Intrigued, Jack took the bracelet, and put it on his bony wrist. "Why thank you," he said. "You're such a good person, Abby. And you have such good friends." He glanced at Double D and Ed.

Double D gave a modest smile.

"Yep, that's me all right," said Ed.

With that, Abby, Ed, and Double D headed back toward the Gummi Ship.

"Visit us anytime, Abby!" Jack called to the group. "Next year's Halloween will be the scariest one yet!"

Meanwhile, Dr. Finkelstein also came outside, sitting outside the door of his Lab.

"Emotion, memory…" he mumbled. "We put in all the necessary ingredients. What else do we need to make a heart? What _is _a heart, anyway? I just can't seem to figure it out…"

---

As he piloted the Gummi Ship, Double D periodically glanced back at Abby. She was staring at a new friendship bracelet she had made: it had alternating pink and red beads, and a charm that looked like a yellow pendant with pink markings on it.

But that wasn't what really caught Double D's eye. Abby's condition seemed to have deteriorated ever since they left Halloween Town. The wizard had offered to take Abby to Traverse Town and see if the Senshi (or even Dr. Riddles) could help her, but Abby politely declined, saying she was just tired.

But Double D wasn't so sure. So he then questioned his concerns to Ed.

"Aw, don't worry, Double D," said Ed. "Abby has us! Jack said so!"

In retrospect, Double D shouldn't have been surprised at his friend's simple response. But it certainly didn't put him at ease.

It was silent after that. Finally, after a while, Abby broke it.

"Double D, I'm sorry," she said. "I think I need to lie down."

Inwardly, Double D sighed in relief. "All right, Abby," he said. "We've got things under control up here. Go get some rest."

Double D heard Abby rise from her chair. But then, he heard something that made his heart nearly stop: a thump.

When the wizard turned around, his biggest fears were realized.

Jimmy and Rolf were below the main deck of the Gummi Ship, monitoring the main navigation system, when they got a frantic call from above.

"Jimmy! Rolf!" Double D's panicked voice spoke through the intercom. "Find the fastest and nearest route to Traverse Town, and take it immediately! It's an emergency!"

"Copy that, Head-In-Sock Ed boy!" Rolf answered. He ran over to the control panel and began pushing buttons.

Jimmy, however, looked dumbfounded. "What's going on, Rolf?" he asked.

"Do not ask questions, Boy Jimmy!" Rolf said back. "In this situation, action must be taken posthaste!"

"Um…okay," said little Jimmy, running over to help Rolf.

Meanwhile, the ensuing chaos finally seemed to register with Ed. He turned around, only to find Double D kneeling over Abby's collapsed form. Her body was bright red.

"What's wrong, Double D?!" Ed asked.

Double D looked at Ed, the beginnings of tears in his eyes.

"It's Abby! She's burning up with fever!"


	20. Chimera UFO 1

Chapter 10: Chimera UFO, part 1

"Is Abby gonna die, Double D?!" Ed frantically asked the wizard.

"Ed, _please _don't say things like that!" Double D answered.

Ever since Abby had collapsed, the entire Gummi Ship appeared to be in shambles. An unconscious Abby was lying down on a nearby sofa, a wet cloth on her head. Double D was by her side, trying hard not to panic. Ed was also at Abby's side, and he clearly _was _panicking. Also, the main projection screen was on, showing the Inner Senshi the current situation.

"So you're saying this suddenly just happened?" Ami, the most medically knowledgeable of the Senshi, asked the boys.

"Oh…I saw that she wasn't feeling good," said Double D. "I should have just let her rest! And I've tried everything! Potions, Cure spells…I even tried to cool her down with a Blizzard spell. But this fever just won't break!"

"Well…I do think it's wise for you to return to Traverse Town," said Sailor Mercury. "A fever could get dangerous if not treated. But what could bring something like this on…?"

Suddenly, Sailor Mars piped up. "Actually…maybe it's because Abby's psychic," she said. "I remember when I was a little girl…one time, I had this really bad fever for days, and nothing could make it go down. But then…it suddenly just went away, and I realized that I could use ESP. Maybe there's a connection?"

"Well…I don't think a topic like that would be covered in any medical journals," Sailor Mercury answered. "But we should probably take any theories we can think of at this point." She turned her attention back to the boys. "Either way, bring her here at once. We can't take any chances."

"Okay," said Double D. "Thank you…"

BANG!

Suddenly, something rammed into the Gummi Ship, causing everything and everyone to lurch. Also, something more disturbing happened: all the lights went out, also cutting off the projection screen.

"Aww…I liked that channel!" said Ed.

"Ed, not now!" said Double D, getting up (he had been knocked over by the impact). "This is serious! If we don't get the reserve power on and hurry to Traverse Town, Abby could…!"

However, Double D was interrupted by a strange whirring sound. He whirled toward the direction Ed had been standing, only to find that the knight wasn't there. Instead, a strange ripple of energy was just fading away.

"Ed?!" Double D asked, suddenly getting very nervous. "Th-this isn't funny. We need to make sure Abby's okay…"

But the wizard never got a chance to finish. Suddenly, he was grabbed from behind, and the energy rippled around him, too. When it stilled, Double D was also gone.

That left Abby, still unconscious on the couch, on the bridge of the Gummi Ship. But then…something slunk out of the shadows. It could almost be mistaken for a human…except for the fact that he had medium-length green hair, gold eyes, and large pointed ears. He was also wearing a short maroon and dark green outfit. He slowly walked over to Abby, and knelt down in front of the psychic.

"So…you're the Keybearer?" the boy asked in a soft, raspy voice. He reached out and touched Abby's arm…then quickly recoiled, as if he was burnt. And…that wasn't an inaccurate description.

"So hot…definitely not a normal temperature for humans," the boy murmured. He slowly reached out and picked Abby up, causing the cloth on her forehead to slip off. The mysterious boy looked at the feverish, limp girl in his arms. Even in the dark, the boy couldn't help but notice Abby's black-haired pigtails.

'_That hairstyle…looks so much like _hers_…_' the boy thought. "Another girl…to cause my loyalty to sway…?" he murmured, this time out loud.

Then, like Ed and Double D before her, the boy and Abby disappeared in a ripple of energy.

---

When Abby slowly came into consciousness, it was because she seemed to be getting shaken awake. She slowly opened her eyes; a big feat, considering her entire body felt extremely hot and heavy. Her entire vision was blurred, but she could just make out a pair of unfamiliar golden eyes. And she appeared to be on some sort of…high tech ship…

"Who…?" That was all Abby could get out. It hurt to talk.

"Shh…" Abby heard another voice say; she guessed it was the owner of the golden eyes. "My name is Kish. And you, my dear, are in quite a situation."

"What…?" Abby rasped. That's when she remembered her friends. She struggled to look around, which was hard since this "Kish" person was holding her bridal style. "Ed…Double…D?"

"Are _they _all you care about now? Even more than your old friends?"

Abby started, causing Kish's grip on her to tighten. She definitely knew that voice.

"Galleria…" Abby murmured. She could just make out the blurry image of her friend, standing a few feet away from her. But…something wasn't right. Galleria looked mad.

"Instead of worrying about _them_, you should be asking about _him_," Galleria continued, taking a few steps to her left. And there, on his knees, also looking extremely dazed, was…

"Mick?!" Abby suddenly felt a second wind, and began to struggle in Kish's grip.

"Hey, stop that!" Kish growled. "Do you want to injure yourself? And in such a sorry state…"

Suddenly, Kish was interrupted by a new presence appearing. The energy between the two groups rippled, and a new, menacing figure appeared. It was a man with long brown hair, and large pointed ears like Kish's. He also had piercing blue eyes, and was wearing a long, blue coat.

The new man gazed at Abby. "This is the Keybearer?" he droned. "Hardly an intimidating figure…"

"Master Deep Blue…" Kish murmured. "Uh…let me explain. This human's body temperature is extremely high; much higher than it should be." He then set Abby's feet on the ground, and let her go. However, Abby simply slumped to the ground, on her knees. She made no attempt to get up. "See? She can't even stand. So…there's really no reason to do away with her…"

Deep Blue's eyes narrowed an inch. "Nonsense," he said. "This will make it easier to do away with her." He paused, glaring at his minion. "Is that going to be a _problem_?"

Kish started. "Uh…no…" he muttered.

_"Help…"_

Abby started as an unknown voice suddenly flashed through her mind. '_Who…was that?_' she thought. '_I've never heard it before…_' But then, she turned her attention back to her friends. "Galleria…what is going on here? Why…why would you side with the Heartless?"

Galleria just smirked, a crazed look once again in her eyes. "The Heartless obey me now, Abby," she replied. "I have nothing to fear."

"What…?" Abby asked, a wave of pain running through her head. "But…that doesn't make any sense! That's crazy! If you stay in that Darkness for too long, it could swallow your heart!" As Abby pleaded with her friend, the crazed faces of Zofis, Maximus I.Q., and Oogie Boogie ran through her fuzz-filled mind.

"Not a chance," said Galleria, not missing a beat. "My heart is too strong for that to happen. And besides…" She raised her right hand. "I've picked up some new tricks along the way. Like _this_."

Suddenly, Abby's shadow seemed to rise out of the ground, standing in front of her.

"Wha…?!" Abby gasped, before another wave of pain and dizziness seemed to floor her. She sank to the ground, folding her hands over her aching head.

Galleria frowned. "Enough of this," she said. "You can go see your friends now." She snapped her fingers.

Suddenly, the floor gave way under Abby, dropping her below deck of…wherever she was.

---

But what everyone above deck didn't know was that as Abby was falling, her body began to glow yellow. Then, there was this big flash…

And Abby was gone. At least, not falling down the corridor anymore.

---

Back above deck, Galleria picked up Mick's limp body. "Let's get moving already," she said to Deep Blue. "And make sure you keep an eye on the prisoners. Don't let Abby get near Mick." She then walked into a nearby room, leaving Deep Blue and Kish on the ship's bridge.

"Ugh…that human," Kish growled. "She thinks she can order _us _around?"

"Kish," Deep Blue spoke again. "I assume you, Pie, and Tart can take care of the prisoners?"

Kish hesitated. "Of…course we can…" he said, but he couldn't hide the uncertainty in his voice.

Deep Blue's eyes slightly narrowed again. "You know…" he said, "I can't help but wonder if you're beginning to question my authority, Kish…"

Kish started again. "Of…of course not, Master Deep Blue!" he said quickly. "I'd never do that to you!"

This seemed to satisfy the larger man. "Good," he said. "Go and keep an eye on the prisoners. Especially that Keybearer…I have a feeling about her."

All Kish could do was nod. As he disappeared in a ripple of energy, one word flashed through his mind.

'_Ichigo…!_'

---

The next thing Abby knew, she was sitting in this unknown and dark hallway. And she still had no idea what exactly was going on.

'_Wait…I was falling, wasn't I?_' she thought. '_So…how'd I end up here…?_'

_"Help…help me…"_

Abby started. There was that voice in her mind again. '_Who _is _that?_' she thought. '_I've never heard this voice before…_' She paused. '_Well, now's not the time to be thinking about that._' Abby slowly staggered to her feet. _'Mick and Galleria are on this ship. And so are Double D and Ed. I need to find them._'

With that, the psychic Keybearer began to stumble down the hallway, in search of her missing friends.

---

Meanwhile, on another part of the ship, Ed and Double D were making their way around another hallway, searching for Abby. And along the way, they were whacking their way through a hoard of Heartless that inhabited the ship they were now on.

"Why were we brought here, Double D?" asked Ed, as the two continued down the hallway.

"Well…" said Double D. "The aliens who brought us here appear to be an advanced race, and clearly on the side of Aku and the Heartless. Of course, that room they kept us in was no match for my magic and your head…"

"I rammed that door good, I did!" Ed proclaimed.

"Indeed," said Double D. "But either way, this is still dangerous. There's no telling of Abby's condition at the moment, and if her fever continues to be that high, she could…push up daisies, so to speak."

"Oh, I thought she would be dead," said Ed.

"ED!" said Double D. "Let's not think about that, _please_!"

Suddenly, a flash of pink caught Ed and Double D's attention. A few feet in front of them, there appeared to be the outline of a young girl.

"Abby?!" Double D exclaimed, running forward, followed by Ed.

But when the two boys got close enough, they saw that the girl was not the Keybearer. It was a shorter girl, wearing a puffy pink dress with dark red boots and gloves. She also had bright pink chin-length hair, and…cat ears and a tail? There also appeared to be a floating pink puffball with big red eyes and tiny wings on its back.

"Not Abby," said Ed, pointing at the new girl.

The new girl looked just as confused as Double D and Ed.

"What…?" she asked. "Where'd you two come from? Why are you on this ship?"

"Those alien guys brought us on here," said Ed.

"What are _you _doing on this ship?" asked Double D.

"Oh…" The girl's cat ears seemed to droop. "Those aliens…they came here to destroy my world. And even worse…their leader took over the body of my friend, Masaya. I…I need to stop them!"

"Possessing a person's body?" asked Ed. He seemed unimpressed. "I've heard _that _one before…"

"Ed…" Double D chastised his friend. He turned back to the girl. "Well…we're trying to stop the aliens as well. They're spreading the Heartless around, and they've taken our friend, Abby. Even worse, she's extremely sick, so we need to find her right away!"

"Oh…well, I haven't seen another girl on the ship…" said the girl. "But…right now, I think I'll need all the help I can get!"

Ed and Double D looked at each other, then back at the girl.

"We need help, too," said Double D. "For now, we'll just have to look together. I'm Double D, and this is Ed."

The girl gave a small smile. "I'm Mew Ichigo," she said. She gestured toward the pink puffball. "And this is Masha."

---

When Kish teleported down to where the two boys were being held, he found a half-dilapidated room containing two not-so-happy fellow aliens.

"What happened?" Kish asked the other two aliens.

The first alien, Pie, was taller than Kish. He had short purple hair, and was wearing a dark purple and black outfit. "Our two prisoners have escaped," he said. "And what's more…" He gave a pointed glare at Kish. "The Keybearer is nowhere to be found."

The second alien, Tart, was shorter than Kish. He had short dirt red hair, and was wearing a short, dirty red and black outfit. "Kish, you idiot!" he barked. "You were supposed to apprehend the Keybearer!"

"I did!" Kish protested. "Besides, she's sick. She couldn't have gotten far."

"Well, the good news is we can detect those boys nearby," said Pie. He suddenly gave a devious smirk. "And that annoying Mew Mew is with them."

"Awesome!" said Tart. "We can wipe them all out in one attack!"

Pie turned to Kish. "Kish, since the Keybearer is _your _responsibility, we'll leave you to find her," he said. "Tart and I will deal with the other annoyances."

Kish was about to protest, but Tart and Pie had already teleported out of the room. Inside, the green-haired alien was close to seething. '_Keybearer…you'd_ better _not be too far away. Because…I can't let anything happen to Ichigo!_'

With that, Kish also teleported out of the room.

---

Abby continued to lumber down the hallway, not stopping for anything.

'_I…I can't give up,_' she thought. '_I need to find them..._'

_"Help me…please…I can't…"_

Abby's eyes narrowed. '_And…I need to find out whose voice that is!_'

Suddenly, a spark shot through Abby. She felt two familiar presences near her.

'_Mick! Galleria!_'

The psychic saw a nearby door through her haze; the two presences were coming from the other side. Summoning the Keyblade, she gave a few shaky steps forward, then hurled herself at the door.

"Mick! Galleria!" Abby called out as she bounded into the room.

Sure enough, Galleria was there, still holding a limp Mick in her arms. And…a pillar of Darkness surrounded them.

"Mick! Galleria!" Abby called again. "Wait!" She began to stagger toward them.

Suddenly, the Abby shadow that had been summoned before appeared in front of the real Abby, effectively blocking her view of her friends.

"Darn it…" Abby grunted, slashing her Keyblade at the shadow. Thankfully, it went down in one hit.

At this point, Mick and Galleria had nearly disappeared into the Darkness pillar.

"MICK! GALLERIA! WAIT!" Abby shouted, lunging toward her friends.

But it was too late. Mick and Galleria were gone. And Abby landed hard onto the floor, the Keyblade disappearing.

Abby, now more disoriented than ever, stared blankly at the spot Mick and Galleria had inhabited only seconds before.

"Wh…what…?" Abby mumbled. She was so dumbstruck, she didn't even notice the tears beginning to stream down her burning face.

She also didn't notice when the energy rippled behind her, and Kish was suddenly in the room with her.

"Found you!" Kish exclaimed. "Now you'll pay for getting away from us…" But then, he noticed exactly what kind of state Abby was in. And that she was crying. "Hey…what's wrong?" Kish asked, his voice suddenly soft. "Are you okay?"

But Abby was still oblivious. Thoughts were running through her fever-stricken mind a mile a minute.

'_Mick…Galleria…here…now they're not…what…I…I don't understand…I…_'

Suddenly, a new wave of pain shot through Abby's head, causing her to cry out in pain and crumple to the floor.

Kish was not getting much enjoyment out of the spectacle, either. "Hey, calm down!" he tried calling to Abby. "You'll hurt yourself if you keep that up…"

But the alien was suddenly interrupted by another sudden event: Abby's body began to glow white! Kish had no choice but to shield his eyes toward the sudden brightness.

And Abby was still barely containing herself against the white-hot pain that was suddenly searing through her body.

'_Galleria…Mick! Where did you go? Why did you leave?! Don't…don't do this to me…_please_…I…_'

'_I don't want to be alone again!_'

Then, just as fast as the white light had filled the room, it suddenly dimmed into nothing. Kish finally deemed it safe to open his eyes. And he was met with quite a sight.

Abby was sitting up, and her body was no longer red. She seemed to be more alert, too. She suddenly turned toward Kish.

"You…" she said to the alien. "You really don't want to help Deep Blue, do you?"

Kish jumped. "Uh…" Then, he sighed. He was tired of lying. "I…I don't know anymore. I…want to get my world back from the humans, but…Deep Blue wants to destroy everything. Even Ichigo. I…I can't let him hurt her! But…I just don't know what to do…"

Abby just looked at the confused alien. "Well…why not just follow your heart?" she asked.

Kish looked at Abby as if she had spoken in a foreign language. "My…heart?"

"Yeah," said Abby. "If Deep Blue takes over this world, so will the Heartless, meaning the Darkness will completely take over." Her gaze remained steady. "Is that worth losing the things you truly care about?"

Kish couldn't believe what he was hearing. "But…what are you saying?" he asked. "You think you can defeat Deep Blue?"

Abby smiled. "I can think a lot clearer now," she said. "And I think I can figure out a way to save this world without anyone having to be sacrificed. Is that all right with you?"

Kish paused. "I want…" He hesitated. "I want this world back…but not if it means hurting Ichigo! I'll take you to Deep Blue!"

Abby looked content. "Thank you," she said.

With that, the psychic and the alien took off, out of the room and straight to Deep Blue.


	21. Chimera UFO 2

Chapter 10: Chimera UFO, part 2

Abby, now feeling completely rejuvenated, followed Kish back up to the top of the UFO. The next thing she knew, she was back on the original main platform; the one where she saw Mick and Galleria. But this time, nobody else was there. Not even Ed or Double D.

"Back up here again," said Abby, looking around. "Nobody's up here. Is that a good thing or a bad thing?"

"Well, before I found you, I got word that your friends were causing trouble down below," Kish replied. "There's a good chance that my comrades, Pie and Tart, have alerted Deep Blue about what's been going on at this point."

"In other words…be prepared for anything?" Abby asked.

"Most likely," Kish answered.

Just then, Abby thought of something else. "Kish…is your kind capable of possessing another person's body?"

"Why do you ask?"

"Well, ever since I got here, I've been hearing this voice in my head…"

"ABBY?!"

Suddenly, two figures slammed into Abby's body. A wizard and a knight.

"Not sick and not among the undead!" Ed exclaimed. "We are as three once again!"

Abby couldn't help but smile, knowing that her friends were okay.

"Kish?"

The green-haired alien looked up, only to find that the one addressing him was a certain cat-girl dressed in pink. Ichigo.

"Kish, why were you with this girl?" Ichigo asked. "What is going on?"

"Ichigo…" Kish started, but was unexpectedly interrupted by an unwanted visitor.

"That Galleria human is quite crafty," Deep Blue droned; Pie and Tart were next to him. "She left with that boy without saying goodbye."

Abby gazed at Deep Blue. As soon as she did, that same voice began ringing through her head again.

_"Help me…"_

"Really," said Abby. Her tone made it seem more like a statement than a question. "So where exactly did they go?"

"To Hollow Bastion," Deep Blue answered. "Where Aku resides."

_"No…don't…stop him…he'll hurt Ichigo…"_

"Aku?" asked Double D.

"Unfortunately…" As Deep Blue paused, a large group of Heartless emerged behind him. "…You won't be going there anytime soon." He then turned his head toward Kish. "You. Did you think you would not be punished for your betrayal?"

_"Can't…won't…let this happen…please…"_

Kish summoned two daggers in his hands. "I just decided to listen to what my heart tells me," he said. "And right now…I care about Ichigo's safety more than taking back this world."

Deep Blue glared. "Is that so?" He summoned a glowing sword in his right hand. "Well, that makes no difference to me. I'll just dispose of you all."

_"HELP ME!"_

Suddenly, Abby saw it; there was something…no, some_one_, else inside Deep Blue's body. She could just make out the ethereal outline of a young boy, probably no older than Ichigo. He had short black hair and brown eyes, but what stood out most to Abby was his face. It was clearly filled with pain, and he was crying. Hard.

"So…that's it," Abby murmured.

"Abby?" asked Double D.

Then, to everyone's shock, Abby's body seemed to disappear into thin air.

Ed was the first to break the silence.

"ABBY'S BODY DISINTEGRATED!" he cried.

"Good lord, what's happening now?" asked Double D.

No sooner had Double D said that, Abby suddenly appeared right behind Deep Blue, and gave a swing at him with the Keyblade.

Unfortunately, Deep Blue whirled around and blocked Abby's attack, then lunged straight at her.

"What was that?!" asked Ichigo.

"Abby…can teleport?!" asked Double D.

"That's so cool!" said Ed.

Then…all chaos seemed to break out. Pie, Tart, and the Heartless lunged toward the rest of Abby's group.

"Well, we can afford to ask questions later…right?!" Double D asked as he dodged an attack.

Meanwhile, Abby and Deep Blue were slashing at each other in a blur of blades, neither of them backing down in intensity.

"You can't keep up this ferocity forever," Deep Blue growled. "With a flick of my hand, I could crush you all!"

But Abby wasn't even hearing Deep Blue. Instead, her mind was focused on the pleading spirit inside the enraged alien.

_"Save me from Deep Blue! I'm in pain! Don't let him hurt Ichigo!"_

As Abby continued to block blows and look for openings, she decided to try something else: talk to the spirit.

'_Listen, I can help you,_' Abby said in her mind, '_but I can't do it alone! If you don't want Deep Blue to have control, don't give it to him! I can make it so Deep Blue can never hurt anyone ever again…but not if you don't help me!_'

Meanwhile, in between striking Heartless and aliens, Ichigo looked up to where Abby and Deep Blue were fighting. She had an extremely worried expression on her face.

"Masaya!" she called to Deep Blue. "Please don't do this! Don't hurt that girl!"

Suddenly, Kish was at Ichigo's side, slashing through a Heartless that was lunging at her.

"Ichigo!" Kish called to her. "You need to pretend that's not your friend! In fact, it's _not _your friend; that's Deep Blue! And if that girl doesn't win, he'll destroy this world completely! You can't give up now; I won't let you!"

While all this was happening, Double D was feeling completely exasperated, despite using every trick in his magic arsenal to ward off Pie and Tart's attacks.

"Ed, do you have any idea what any of this is about?!" the wizard called to the knight.

"What what's about, Double D?" asked Ed.

Double D knew. He _knew _he shouldn't have been surprised. But he still was.

"Why did I even open my mouth?" he muttered.

Abby was slowly beginning to wind down, and she could feel it. Deep Blue was right; she _couldn't _keep this up forever. She had to find an opening for that final attack _now_, or the situation could get very bad very quickly.

Then, suddenly, a spark of hope. Deep Blue suddenly staggered, clutching his head. And Abby noticed. That could only mean one thing: the spirit inside Deep Blue, "Masaya," was taking Abby's advice, and fighting back.

'_Yes!_' Abby thought. '_I have to do this now!_'

The psychic Keyblade wielder aimed her Keyblade straight at Deep Blue's chest, concentrating all the energy she could muster at the tip of the Keyblade. However, just as Abby was about to unleash the energy, Deep Blue seemed to develop a second wind.

A small, sharp-looking beam of light shot out of the Keyblade, hitting Deep Blue square in the chest. At the same time, Deep Blue thrust his sword down, aiming straight for Abby's stomach.

At the same time, Double D, Ed, Ichigo, and Kish overpowered Pie, Tart, and the Heartless. Time seemed to stop.

Then, Abby fell to her knees, a large, fresh cut across her stomach, and Deep Blue collapsed facedown on the ground. Time started up again.

"GOOD GOLLY ALMIGHTY!" Double D yelled as he and Ed ran up to Abby.

At the same time, Ichigo ran straight to Deep Blue…or, at least, what _used _to be Deep Blue.

"Abby, speak to us!" Double D exclaimed as he and Ed reached the psychic. "What exactly has been going on?!"

"It's okay…" Abby gasped. "It's all over now." Even as she spoke, the cut on her stomach was slowly becoming smaller.

Ichigo slowly helped Deep Blue sit up. Only…it wasn't Deep Blue anymore. Everything looked the same, except for the face. It was the same face that Abby had seen filled with pain moments before.

Masaya looked at Ichigo, then turned his gaze to Abby. "Thank you," he whispered.

Ed and Double D (as well as the aliens below) were stunned.

"Abby, what did you do?" asked Double D.

"His mind has been cleansed," said Abby, her eyes beginning to droop. "Deep Blue is no more…"

Then, Abby's body pitched forward, and she would have fallen flat on her face had Double D and Ed not have caught her. The last thing Abby heard before completely losing consciousness was Ed's panicked voice:

"NOT AGAIN!"

---

When Abby came to, she was no longer on the UFO. She was lying on a couch…somewhere. And the first voices she heard were also the last voices she heard while losing consciousness.

"YAY! Abby's still not dead!"

"It's a miracle _we're _not dead, after all the potential heart attacks she's been giving us…"

Abby slowly sat up, and looked around. The trio appeared to be in a tall building in the middle of a city. It also appeared to be nighttime, as the buildings surrounding them were all lit up; oddly enough, there didn't appear to be any light on in the room the trio were currently in.

"Guys, where are we?" she asked.

"This is the Tokyo Tower."

Abby turned toward the new voice. It was Ichigo. She was alone.

"Abby, I think Ichigo wants to say something to you," said Double D.

The cat-girl stepped forward. "Abby, I wanted to…thank you for helping Masaya. He's one of the most important people in my life, and I don't know what I would do without him."

"Well, I'm glad I was able to help," said Abby, who was slowly standing up.

"But also…" Ichigo paused. "What you did help me realize something else. I've been so focused on Masaya lately, I haven't been paying enough attention to other important people in my life. And…that was wrong of me. I think I need to apologize to a few people." She gave a sad smile. "Also…Ed and Double D told me about the friends you're looking for. I'm sorry things didn't work out for you."

It was Abby's turn to give a sad smile. "Yeah, I do feel bad that happened," she said. "But, at least I know they're both safe. And, the whole time I've been looking for them, I've just been making all sorts of new friends." With that, Abby took out the pink and red Friendship Bracelet from her belt bag and tossed it to Ichigo. "Don't worry about us. We're going to find our friends."

Ichigo gazed at the bracelet, then smiled at the three. "Thank you all…for everything," she said. Then, she ran off.

As soon as Ichigo was out of sight, all three members of the trio sighed in relief.

"Thank goodness _that's _all over," said Double D. "Now, Abby, I'm dying to know…what exactly brought on that fever?"

"Abby was sick, then well, then sick again, then well again!" said Ed.

"Well…" said Abby. "Actually, now that my mind's clear again, I remember…a similar incident happened when I was little. Around seven years old…I think. Anyway, one day, I just came down with this fever; no other symptoms, just a really high fever. It lasted the whole day, and nothing could make it break. Then…just like that, the fever all but disappeared, and…I had complete control over my psychic abilities."

"So…" said Double D. "That happened again? And now you can teleport?"

Abby smiled. "Guess so," she said.

"Is that lucky or what?" asked Ed.

"Well, either way…" said Double D. "I think we all deserve a break. What say we head back to the Gummi Ship?"

"Gummi Ship!" Ed exclaimed.

With that, the trio headed to the nearest exit down the tower: an elevator. But as they stopped in front of it, Abby stopped.

"Abby?" asked Double D.

Abby didn't respond; she just summoned the Keyblade, and held it in front of her. On the elevator doors…a Keyhole appeared. To Ed and Double D's surprise, the regular beam shot out of the Keyblade, onto the Keyhole, and locked it.

"My, that was…" said Double D.

"Not very exciting," said Ed.

"If you ask me, I'm happy for the dullness at the moment," said Abby. Suddenly, she stopped, and then turned around again. And for good reason.

Standing in the shadows of the darkened room, almost unnoticed, was Kish.

"Did you want to say something, too?" Abby asked the alien.

Kish remained silent for a minute. Then…

"Thank you…for helping Ichigo."

Abby smiled. "Aren't you happy things worked out the way they did?"

Kish chuckled. "Yes, I am," he said. "But…I am also sad. Ichigo…will probably never like me the way I like her."

"At least she doesn't hate you!" Ed suddenly interrupted.

"Ed!" Double D exclaimed.

However, Kish actually laughed. "Yeah…I guess you're right."

"What will you do now?" asked Abby.

"Well…Pie and Tart have come to their senses, too," Kish answered. "And, instead of trying to take this world by force…we're going to try and restore our own world. And something tells me it will be much easier to do now." He turned to Abby. "And…I hope you find your friends, too."

"Don't worry," said Abby. "We will."

Then, with one final nod, Kish disappeared in a ripple of energy.

"What a nice being from beyond the stars," said Ed.

"I agree," said Double D. "Abby, you certainly know how to bring out the best in people, don't you?"

"I guess so," Abby answered. "That's why I want to find Mick and Galleria as soon as possible. When I find them, I'm going to tell them all about the new friends I've been making!"

"Ooh, I can't wait to tell the King about our new buddies, too!" said Ed.

"All in good time now," said Double D. "Now, without further ado, what say we board the Gummi Ship and head back to Traverse Town? I'm sure they're wondering if we're okay."

With that, Abby, Ed, and Double D entered the Tokyo Tower's elevator, and headed back to the Gummi Ship.


	22. Traverse Town 3rd Visit, Mobius 2

**Author's Note**: Well, now that Thanksgiving season is slowly coming to a close, and December is almost upon us, it's time for another chapter of _Kingdom of Earth_. But first, I'd like to say thank you to all who have been reviewing (and praising) the story. Also, I'd like to take this opportunity to answer a question RandomNumbers523156 asked.

Why Mobius for the Hundred Acre Wood, you ask? Well…I just thought Mobius seemed like a good world to belong in a storybook. And, in some twisted way, I can't help but notice _some _parallels between the Winnie-the-Pooh characters and the Sonic characters. Does that make sense?

Anyway…we're getting closer to the end, people! Hang in there, and happy reading! ;)-**AMX

* * *

**

Chapter 11: Traverse Town, 3rd Visit

Abby looked at the torn book pages in her hands. Then, she looked at Dr. Riddles and Kedo's house in front of her. Since they had landed back in Traverse Town, Ed and Double D had gone off to see if the Inner Senshi could help upgrade the Gummi Ship with some Gummi Blocks they had picked up throughout the worlds. Meanwhile, Abby was taking the torn pages from Sonic the Hedgehog's book and putting them back in their rightful place. She couldn't help but smile as she remembered Ed and Double D's shock when she presented the pages to them.

_"Where did you find those?" asked Double D._

_ "Oh, they were scattered all over the place," said Abby. "I picked them up when you guys weren't paying attention."_

_ "That's all the time for me!" said Ed._

_ "Right…" said Double D. "Well then, while you take care of that, Ed and I will see what we can do about these Gummi Blocks."_

_ Suddenly, Ed started laughing._

_ "What's so funny?" asked Abby._

_ "I just realized that every time we come here, we promise not to split up, but then we end up splitting up as soon as we get here," the knight replied._

_ Abby and Double D's eyes widened in realization._

_ "Oh, my," said Double D. "I must say, we've stumbled across a textbook definition of irony."_

_ "Well…" said Abby. "Hopefully, there won't be anymore Heartless ambushes or sudden paralyzing dreams for us to worry about this time."_

_ "Exactly," said Double D. "In fact, I say we go do what we have to do before we jinx ourselves any further."_

_ "Good idea," said Abby. "I'll see you guys later."_

_ As Abby walked toward Dr. Riddles' house, she heard Ed ask Double D something._

_ "Double D, what's a jinx?"_

Abby sighed, and then finally decided to enter the house…through the hole in the wall, naturally.

"Dr. Riddles?" Abby called as she walked in.

"You found the rest of the pages," the Doctor answered. He was sitting at the table with Kedo, sipping tea.

"Well…yeah," the psychic girl answered.

"Well then, what are you waiting for?" asked Kedo. "I want to see how the story ends!"

Abby smiled. "Good thing," she said, walking over to the book. "Because I do, too."

With that, Abby walked over to Sonic the Hedgehog's book and put the pages back where they belonged. They fit perfectly. Then, just like before, Abby's entire body began to glow. Before Dr. Riddles and Kedo knew it, Abby had disappeared into the book again.

* * *

Mobius, part 2

Abby looked around. She could see Tails' Workshop again, but now there appeared to be more land behind it. And located in that land was…a large blue airplane.

Intrigued, Abby ran around the Workshop and straight to the plane. When she got close enough, she noticed that the plane was on a landing strip, and there was a logo painted on the tailfin; it looked like two foxtails.

"What's this for?" Abby asked out loud.

"Huh? Who are you?"

Abby looked back toward the workshop. There was a small creature hiding behind a nearby barrel; it was an orange fox…with two tails!

Abby smiled. She knelt down to the fox's level. "Don't be scared," she said. "Are you looking for Sonic?"

The fox lit up. He stepped out from behind the barrel. "You know where Sonic is?" he asked. "Because I flew across Mobius with the Tornado," he paused to gesture toward the plane, "but I couldn't find him."

"Tails!"

Abby and the fox, Tails, turned toward the voice. Sonic was running toward them.

"Sonic!" Tails exclaimed. He ran toward the blue hedgehog. "What happened, Sonic? Everything disappeared, so I was using the Tornado to see if I could find anything…but it was all gone."

"Hmm…" said Sonic. "Well, I'm not sure what happened either. But the landing strip wasn't here before. Maybe that means other areas are coming back, too."

"Hey, yeah!" said Tails. "Actually, while I was flying, I saw that Angel Island was back. We should go see if Knuckles is okay."

"Really?" asked Sonic. "Well…okay." He turned to Abby. "Abby, you come too. I want you to meet everyone who lives in Mobius."

With that, Sonic and Tails walked away. Abby, on the other hand, lingered for a moment.

"Go with them."

Abby turned back to Tails' Workshop. Leaning against it was Shadow.

"You want to know how the story ends, don't you?" the black hedgehog continued.

But Abby just looked confused. "Shadow, you're Sonic's friend too, right?" she asked. "Shouldn't you let him know that you're okay?"

Shadow closed his eyes. "We're _not _friends," he clarified.

"Oh," said Abby. "But…you know each other, right?"

Shadow paused. "Unfortunately," he said. "Trust me…it's best if I just remain in the background."

It was Abby's turn to pause. Then she shrugged; without another word, she went to catch up to Sonic and Tails.

---

"Wow!" Abby exclaimed. Sonic and Tails had taken her straight to the base of the island known as Angel Island. "It's huge!"

"It has to be, to house the Master Emerald," said Sonic.

"Master Emerald?" asked Abby.

"It's a huge emerald that harnesses a lot of energy," said Tails. "Our friend Knuckles watches over it."

"Just a warning," Sonic said as he and Tails led Abby further onto the island. "Knuckles has kind of a temper…especially when it comes to the Master Emerald."

"Well, at least I know you think so highly of me, Sonic."

Abby, Sonic, and Tails stopped at the new, slightly gruff voice. A few feet away from them, there was a red echidna with long, dreadlock-like quills. He was standing in front of a large, floating emerald.

"Hey, there's Knuckles!" said Sonic.

"We're glad you're okay," said Tails.

Knuckles looked confused. "What?" he asked. "Why wouldn't I be okay?" He turned to Abby. "And who's that?"

"Oh, this is our new friend, Abby," said Sonic. "But Knuckles…you seriously don't know what's been going on?"

Knuckles shrugged. "No," he said. "I've been guarding the Master Emerald this whole time, just like I always do. What exactly did I miss?"

"Everything disappeared!" said Tails. "It was all white! It was as if everything just stopped!"

This caught Abby's attention. '_That must have been because the pages were missing,_' she thought.

"Well, everything was okay here," said Knuckles. "But now that you mention it…there was that really thick fog earlier…"

"That's it!" said Sonic. "That fog was _everywhere_ earlier. But it's all gone now. Whatever happened, it seems to have gotten fixed."

"SONIC!"

Sonic tensed. "Oh no…" he groaned.

Then, something…pink…slammed into him. When the dust cleared, Abby saw a pink hedgehog wearing a bright red dress hugging Sonic.

"Oh, Sonic!" the pink hedgehog exclaimed. "I was so worried about you! I'm _so _glad you're okay!"

"Amy, get off…" Sonic groaned. With much effort, he was able to remove the pink hedgehog, Amy, from his body.

"Where were you, Amy?" asked Tails.

"Well…Cream and I were helping Big look for his frog in the forest, but then this really thick fog came," Amy explained. "We couldn't find our way out. But a little while ago, the fog disappeared, and I went to find Sonic!"

"So…you left Cream and Big in the woods?" asked Sonic.

Amy started. "Oops…" she muttered. She then began to run off in the opposite direction, presumably toward the woods.

Sonic sighed. "We'd better go after her," he said, following the pink hedgehog.

Abby, Tails, and Knuckles began to follow Sonic and Amy.

"I take it there's a love-hate relationship between those two," Abby said to the fox and the echidna.

"Amy definitely has a way of trying Sonic's patience," said Knuckles.

"But deep down, I think he's glad to have Amy as a friend," Tails finished. "Granted, it's _very _deep down, but still…"

---

Abby couldn't help but marvel at the forest she was currently walking through. She couldn't help but remember the forests back on Vega Island. She sighed.

"Something wrong, Abby?" Sonic asked her.

"Oh," said Abby, looking at the blue hedgehog. "This forest is just bringing back memories."

"Memories, huh?" asked Sonic. "I know what you mean. I've been to a lot of places, and I've seen a lot of different forests. And I've loved running through each and every one of them. But…it's always nice to come back home. Do you travel a lot too, Abby?"

Abby thought for a moment. "…Yeah," she said. "I guess you could say that."

Suddenly, Amy, who was leading the group, spotted something.

"Cream! Big!" she exclaimed, running forward.

In front of the group was a small river. And next to the river was a small rabbit wearing an orange dress and a large, purple cat wearing a large brown belt. The cat was holding a frog. And next to the rabbit was a small, blue creature with a red bow tie.

"Amy!" said the rabbit, running up to the pink hedgehog. "Cheese was worried about you."

"Sorry, guys," Amy said sheepishly. "You know how it is when I'm thinking about Sonic. I forget about everything else!" She looked over to the cat. "Oh! Cream, did you guys find Big's friend?"

"Yep," said the rabbit, Cream. "We found Mr. Big's friend soon after you left."

"It was that guy," the cat, Big, droned in a low voice. He pointed to a nearby tree. "He found Froggy for us."

Everyone looked. Leaning on a nearby tree was Shadow.

"Shadow!" Sonic exclaimed. "You helped them out?"

"This…doesn't mean anything," said Shadow. "I was merely passing through the area."

Cream smiled. "Well, I'm glad you helped us, Mr. Shadow," she said. "And I'm glad everyone's here, too."

"Yeah," said Big. "It was weird not havin' everyone else around."

Sonic looked at Abby. "Abby, come say hello to everyone," he said.

Abby smiled. "Okay."

---

By the time Abby was done getting to know everyone, the sun had set over Mobius. Everyone decided to head to a nearby hill so they could look at the stars. Sonic, Abby, and the rest of the group were sitting on the hill, gazing at the night sky; the only one not sitting was Shadow, who was once again leaning against a nearby tree.

"I'm so glad everyone's together again," Tails suddenly spoke up. "I got scared when I didn't know where everyone was."

"_I _didn't think it was so bad," said Amy. "It was nothing I couldn't handle."

"But Amy," said Cream. "When that fog appeared, you wouldn't stop talking about how you were really worried about Mr. Sonic."

"Uh huh," Big, who was still holding Froggy, chimed in. "It's true."

"But how's that any different to how Amy usually acts?" Knuckles asked.

"Hey now…" Amy muttered. "Okay, maybe I _was_ worried about Sonic…but that doesn't mean I wasn't thinking about my other friends!"

Shadow said nothing. He merely observed the scene from his spot next to the tree.

Abby turned to Sonic. "What do you think, Sonic?" she asked.

Sonic seemed to think for a minute before speaking. "I think…that going to new places is always fun. But it's always nice to go back to the places you're most familiar with, too."

Abby smiled. Then, she stood up. "Well, I'd better get going," she said.

"Abby, where are you going?" asked Tails.

Abby looked at the group. "I'm gonna go look for my friends," she said. "They're waiting for me. I can feel it."

"Well, don't forget about us," said Big.

"Yeah!" said Amy. "We're your friends, too."

Abby nodded. "Don't worry," she said. "I won't be forgetting about any of you anytime soon. I promise."

Then, Abby took something out of her belt bag. It was a Friendship Bracelet she had made on the ride to Traverse Town: it had alternating blue and white beads, with a blue charm that looked like a silhouette of Sonic's head. She handed the Bracelet to the blue hedgehog.

Sonic looked at the Bracelet in his hand. Then he looked back at Abby. "All right!" he said.

Abby began to walk down the hill, periodically stopping to wave at Sonic and his group. The group waved back (even Shadow, though his was more of a half-swing of his arm).

"Come back anytime!" Tails called out.

"I hope you find your friends!" said Cream.

Sonic once again looked at the Friendship Bracelet.

As Abby walked away and felt her body beginning to fade again, Sonic's voice suddenly rang through her head.

_"Abby, don't forget. We'll always be here…if you'd like to visit again, that is."

* * *

_

When the light cleared, Abby once again found herself in Dr. Riddles and Kedo's house.

"Hey, look!" Kedo exclaimed.

Abby looked at Sonic's storybook. There was a glowing Keyhole on the front of it; suddenly, it clicked shut (without the use of the Keyblade). When the Keyhole disappeared, the cover of the book was fixed; it showed a picture of Sonic the Hedgehog, running next to a black haired girl: Abby.

"Wow!" said Kedo.

"Well, how was it?" asked Dr. Riddles. "Did you enjoy the story?"

Abby smiled. "Yeah, I did," she said.

"Good." Dr. Riddles paused to take a sip of his tea. "Now then, I believe your friends are beginning to wonder where you are."

Suddenly, for some reason, Abby's mood became much more somber. "Oh, I see," she said. She gave a sad smile. "Thank you for everything, Dr. Riddles and Kedo."

"You're very welcome," said the Doctor. "Now go."

Abby nodded. She headed out the hole in the wall, back toward the center of Traverse Town.

"Bye, Abby!" Kedo called after the psychic girl. He then turned to Dr. Riddles. "Do you think she'll be all right, Doctor?"

"Hmm, well, if you really want to know what _I_ think…" said Dr. Riddles. "I think she and those boys will be completely devoured by those Heartless."

Kedo was shocked. "Wh-what?!" he asked. "Doctor, do you really think that?"

Suddenly, a mischievous smirk appeared on the Doctor's face. "Just kidding!" he exclaimed.

Kedo's jaw dropped. "Aww, Doctor…you're so mean!"

---

Abby soon found herself back in the Shopping District of Traverse Town. She didn't have to wait long before Double D and Ed appeared.

"Abby! Good news!" said Double D. "The Inner Senshi were able to completely upgrade the Gummi Ship with all the Gummi Blocks we found. We'll have no problem getting to Hollow Bastion now."

However, Abby didn't look too excited. She just couldn't get the image of Galleria and Mick disappearing before her fever-hazed eyes. "Really? That's…great…" she muttered.

Ed took note of Abby's expression. "Now Abby, you remember what Double D said?" he asked. "No frowning, no sad face. Only smiles!"

"But…how can you guys be so cheerful?" Abby asked the wizard and the knight. "Sure, I've seen Galleria and Mick, but…we haven't seen any sign of your king at all! Aren't you worried?"

Double D's expression went neutral. "Well…yes, we are a bit worried," he said. "I believe we have a right to be…"

"But the king also said we needed to find the Keybearer," said Ed. "And we found you! So as long as we stick together, fine everything shall be!"

"You just need to believe in yourself, Abby," said Double D. "Ed and I certainly do, and so do all the other friends we've made."

"Believe in myself, huh?" Abby asked. She looked down at her Friendship Bracelets: the four on her arms, and the rest hanging from her belt. Suddenly, some familiar voices began ringing through Abby's head.

_"Abby, don't ever change."_

_ "As long as I'm wearing this bracelet, I'm still here."_

_ "Feel free to visit us anytime."_

_ "I know Abby and her friends will bring Kiyo back! And we'll keep fighting, too!"_

_ "Anytime you guys wanna come and help us out again, it's all right with me."_

_ "You're such a good person, Abby. And you have such good friends."_

_ "Thank you all…for everything."_

_ "Abby, don't forget. We'll always be here…if you'd like to visit again, that is."_

Abby looked up. A new wind of determination shone in her eyes. "You know what, guys?" she asked. "You're right. My friends all believe in me, and that's what matters most." She nodded in affirmation. "I'll find Galleria and Mick…and we'll go back to our world. Together."

Double D nodded. "That's the spirit!" he said. "And we'll find our king!"

"Yep!" said Ed. "Because he can't do anything without us!"

Abby ignored that last comment. "So what do you say, guys?" she asked. "Ready to defeat Aku?"

"Absolutely!" said Double D. "To Hollow Bastion!"

With that, the group began to head back toward the Gummi Ship.

"Yeah!" said Ed. "To…that place…that Double D said!"


	23. Hollow Bastion 1

**Author's Note**: I suddenly felt extra-generous tonight, so I decided to give you all a special treat: three new chapters! Well…technically, one new chapter in three parts. But who's keeping track, right? Happy reading! ;)-**AMX

* * *

**

Chapter 12: Hollow Bastion, part 1

Abby looked at the surrounding area. It appeared battle-trodden and barren. The platforms were floating, broken rocks that led up to a large castle in the distance.

"This is Hollow Bastion?" she asked Ed and Double D.

"It appears so," said Double D. "Though I will admit this landscape doesn't leave much for the imagination…"

"What a sad-sack place," said Ed.

Suddenly, Abby started. A sudden burning was bursting in her chest.

"Abby, are you okay?" asked Double D.

"You're not getting sick again, are you?" asked Ed.

"No, I don't think so…" said Abby. "I can't really explain it…there's just this burning in my chest. Almost…like I know this place."

The knight and the wizard looked at each other.

"Even I know that does not make sense, Double D," said Ed.

"Surprisingly, I agree," said Double D. "But I can't help but be concerned. Abby, are you sure you're up for this?"

Abby nodded. "Of course I am," she said. "I promised to defeat Aku and save everyone, and I intend to see it through to the end."

"Well, if you say so…"

"AAAAAAAAAAAARRRGH!"

The trio jumped at the sudden roar of pain that ripped through the area.

"A Heartless?!" asked Double D.

"No…" said Abby. "I would have sensed it…"

"It's a demon hound that has emerged from the Underworld!" Ed exclaimed. Suddenly, he began running up the rock platforms. "I get to see it first!"

"_Now _I'm not surprised," said Double D, following Ed. Abby ran after them.

Abby and Double D finally caught up to Ed on a larger rock platform.

"What's up, Ed?" asked Abby.

"Look!" said Ed, pointing to something. "I was right!"

Abby and Double D looked. Before them, someone—or some_thing_—was doubled over, clutching his stomach. He had long, silver hair, and was wearing what appeared to be a bright red kimono. But the most striking feature: on the top of his head was a pair of…dog ears.

"Oh my…" said Double D. "Well, I'm still not too sure about the 'Underworld' part…"

Just then, Abby realized why this…dog-boy was clutching his stomach. There was a big, glaring cut on his stomach. The psychic girl ran up to the dog-boy and kneeled in front of him.

"Hey, what happened here?" she asked.

"K-Kagome…" the dog-boy groaned. "That girl…took Kagome away from me…"

"Girl?" asked Abby. "What girl?"

"About time you showed up, Abby."

Abby, Ed, and Double D snapped to attention. Standing a few feet away, with a malevolent smirk on her face, was Galleria.

"Galleria?" Abby asked. She summoned the Keyblade. "What the heck?! Did you do this?!"

"He was being a nuisance," said Galleria. "It's his own fault."

Abby's body tensed. "Where's Mick?" she asked.

"I don't know," Galleria replied. Then, she threw something at Abby. "But here's a gift for you."

A wooden sword landed at Abby's feet. "…What's this?" she asked.

"Your new sword," Galleria replied.

Suddenly, the Keyblade…jerked…in Abby's hand. On instinct, Abby tightened her grip on the key-like sword, but the strange pull made it hard to hold on.

"What are you doing?!" Abby yelled, holding onto the Keyblade for dear life. At least, until…to Abby, Ed, and Double D's shock, it disappeared out of her hand.

To Abby, Ed, and Double D's even greater shock, the Keyblade reappeared in Galleria's hand.

"Let the Keyblade choose its _true _master," said Galleria.

"B-but that's impossible!" said Abby, the only one who could find her voice. "_I'm _the one who fought with the Keyblade this whole time."

"You think that matters?" asked Galleria. "Your part is over, Abby. Bottom line: you don't have what it takes to save Mick. You were just the delivery girl." Galleria's tone suddenly became more malicious. "A weakling like you has no use for me anymore. Get out of my sight."

With that, two things happened at once: Galleria left the area, Keyblade in hand, and a dumbstruck Abby fell to her knees. Ed and Double D, equally dumbstruck, broke the silence.

"Double D, what just happened?" asked Ed.

"I'm not for certain…" said Double D. "But I believe Abby just got betrayed by the person she considers her best friend."

Ed paused. Then he pouted. "That's not very nice…" he said.

"Indeed," said Double D.

"Why haven't you guys left?"

Ed and Double D turned toward Abby, who was looking at the ground.

"You were assigned to follow the Keybearer, right?" Abby asked, seemingly trying her hardest to keep her voice level. "So you should be following Galleria, not me." She looked up, tears obviously threatening to spill out her eyes. "You guys can go. I won't stop you."

Ed and Double D looked at each other, then back to Abby.

"Stop us from doing what?" asked Ed.

Double D walked up to the psychic girl. "Abby…" he began. He sighed. "Yes, the king assigned us to follow the Keybearer. But that is not an excuse to just abandon a friend. And I don't care if Galleria _is _your friend; what she just did is inexcusable, and I believe she needs to be put in her place."

"She's too mean to be a Keybearer," said Ed. "Not like Abby. Plus, Abby makes us cool bracelets!"

Ed and Double D held up the wrists that had Abby's Friendship Bracelets on them for emphasis.

Abby, stunned, finally let a few tears leak out. "You guys…" Suddenly, she reached out and wrapped Ed and Double D in a hug. "Thank you…" her voice broke.

"Abby's just like the king when he's sad," said Ed.

Just then, Abby released the wizard and the knight, suddenly realizing something.

"But…what can we do now?" Abby asked. "Sure, you guys can still fight…" She looked down at the wooden sword. "But how am I supposed to fight with _this_?"

"I give up," said Ed. "How?"

Double D shot Ed a disapproving glare.

"So that's it? You're just gonna give up?"

Abby, Ed, and Double D looked up at the new voice. The dog-boy was standing right behind Abby, no longer sporting a wound on his stomach.

"I forgot you were here," said Ed, pointing to the dog-boy.

But the dog-boy's focus was on Abby. "Why did you come here?" he asked her. "_I _came here to get Kagome. And I don't care if my world's been destroyed, or that I'm alone. Kagome is one of the most important people to me, and I'm not leaving this place without her."

Abby looked at the dog-boy, then back at the wooden sword. Then, she slowly picked it up.

"Me too," she finally said. "I came too far to give up now." She stood up. "I came here to find the people most important to me, and I'm not leaving without them!"

Then, Abby turned to the dog boy. She took something out of her belt bag: a new Friendship Bracelet she had made on the way to Hollow Bastion. This one had alternating red and silver beads, with a large, lavender bead also in the string. She held it out to the dog-boy.

"Thank you…InuYasha," said Abby.

The dog-boy, InuYasha, looked confused for a second, before hesitantly taking the Bracelet.

"Keh," he scoffed, putting the Bracelet in his pocket. "It's nothing to get all mushy about…" Then, he began walking up the rock platforms toward the castle.

Abby, Double D, and Ed stood there for a moment before following him.


	24. Hollow Bastion 2

Chapter 12: Hollow Bastion, part 2

Inside the castle, something evil was beginning to occur. Aku was deep within the confines of the castle, in a large main room. Also in the room were seven individuals, each one unconscious and trapped in a glass capsule. These individuals included Mac, Kiyo, three girls, each in a different school uniform, and a man wearing a white cloak-like kimono.

But the main individual was contained inside a capsule in the middle of the room with Aku. This capsule contained a still unconscious Mick. His capsule was positioned in front of a large, heart-shaped portal.

Looking at the capsules and the portal, Aku looked satisfied. He lifted his arms up.

"Oh, purest of hearts!" Aku proclaimed. "Reveal to me the Keyhole!"

---

Meanwhile, Abby, Ed, Double D, and InuYasha were fighting their way through the sea of Heartless that happened to inhabit the castle. Abby was using the wooden sword, while Double D and Ed were still using their staff and shield, respectively. InuYasha was using a large, fang-like sword he called Tetsuaiga.

After fighting through another wave, the group found themselves standing in front a brick wall.

"Dead end!" said Ed.

"Leave it to me," InuYasha growled. With one mighty swing of the Tetsuaiga, there was suddenly a large hole in the wall, with a door on the other side.

The trio was awed by InuYasha's display. They followed the dog-boy into the new room, which appeared to be another main room of the castle.

InuYasha looked around the room, suddenly spotting another open door, and a person standing in it. It was a girl with long, black hair, wearing a green and white school uniform.

"Kagome!" InuYasha exclaimed. "You're alright…"

But just as he said it, Kagome's body suddenly began to turn black. It was suddenly not Kagome standing before InuYasha, but a Heartless.

InuYasha stood, stunned, as the Heartless began to slink back through the doorway. Snapping to attention, the dog-boy ran through the door after the Heartless.

"InuYasha!" Abby called to the dog-boy.

"Quit while you can."

Abby, Ed, and Double D started at the now-familiar voice. They turned and saw Galleria, still holding the Keyblade, standing at the other side of the room.

"Galleria…" said Abby. "Did you do that?"

"Sorry to ruin your little adventure game," said Galleria.

"Game?" asked Ed. "I did not know we were playing one."

"We're not," said Double D.

"Oh, okay," Ed responded.

"This isn't a playground," said Galleria. "Get lost."

"No," Abby answered. "Not without you and Mick."

Galleria held up her hand that wasn't holding the Keyblade, her palm facing Abby. "The darkness will destroy you," she growled.

"Galleria," said Abby, her voice level. "I'm here to help you and Mick."

"Is that so?" asked Galleria. Dark energy began to build into a ball in her palm. "Well, we'll just see about that!"

The dark energy ball shot out of Galleria's palm and headed dead straight to Abby.

Abby closed her eyes and braced for impact, but didn't feel anything hit. When she opened her eyes again, she saw Ed and Double D standing in front of her, weapons ready.

"Abby's not going anywhere!" said Ed.

"You'd betray your king?" asked Galleria. "_I'm_ the one you should be obeying."

"Of course we wouldn't betray the king," said Double D. "But we're not going to betray Abby, either."

"She's become one of our best friends," said Ed. "Just as much as the king!"

Ed and Double D turned toward Abby.

"What do you say, Abby?" asked Ed.

"Friends for life, friends for real?" asked Double D.

Abby smiled. "You guys…" She then turned to Galleria. "Galleria…what you've got isn't true power."

"Really?" asked Galleria. "And how will you fight without a weapon?"

Abby shook her head. "I've finally figured out. I don't need the Keyblade; I never _really _needed it. Because I've got a better weapon: my _heart_."

"Abby?" asked Double D.

"While my heart may be weak by itself," Abby continued, "it's not alone. It's grown with every place I've visited, and with every new friend I've made. And if my friends continue to think about me, and don't forget me, then our hearts will always be connected!"

As Abby talked, the Keyblade in Galleria's hand began to glow, as did the wooden sword in Abby's hand.

"I don't need a weapon!" Abby finished. "My friends are my power!"

Suddenly, the Keyblade disappeared from Galleria's hand, and reappeared in Abby's hands.

For the first time since the trio got there, Galleria was shocked into silence. But it was immediately replaced by a scowl.

"Your heart?" she growled. Her hands began to glow again, and a new Keyblade appeared; it was in the shape of a black demon wing. "What good will _that _weak little thing do you?" Suddenly, she lunged forward.

"HOW CAN A HEART PROTECT ANYTHING?!"

Abby, Ed, and Double D braced for impact, but just as Galleria reached them, she seemed to disappear in a cloud of black smoke.

When the smoke cleared, Abby, Ed, and Double D found themselves alone in the massive room.

"Galleria…" Abby said sadly.

---

Meanwhile, Galleria was running down another hallway in the castle, clutching her chest.

"What's…happening to me…?" Galleria gasped between breaths. "My heart…it's about to explode!"

"_Open yourself to the Darkness…_"

Galleria stopped. Standing a few feet away from her was the same hooded figure that had appeared before Abby back on Vega Island.

"Who are you…?!" asked Galleria.

"_You showed no fear in entering the door to Darkness,_" the hooded figure continued. "_It held no terror for you. Plunge yourself deeper into Darkness, and your heart will become even stronger._"

Galleria was unable to find her voice. She had been rendered speechless.

"_Let your heart…your entire being…become Darkness itself!!_"

---

"Impossible!" Aku exclaimed. He was standing in front of the large, heart-shaped portal in the main room he was in. Dark energy was faintly swirling in it, but nothing else had happened. "The Heroes of Heart are all here! Where is the Keyhole? Why won't it open?!"

"Without his heart, the Keyhole will never open. He is unable to release his power."

Aku turned around. There, standing next to the capsule Mick had been in, was Galleria. But something was different without her. She was no longer in her normal clothes; she was wearing a skintight black outfit with a Heartless symbol on the front of it. In one arm, she held the unconscious form of Mick. In the other, she held a new Keyblade; one with a thick, black blade.

"So, I see the path has emerged at last…" said Galleria. But there was also something different about her voice. It sounded…distorted.

"You!" Aku started. "That blade…"

Galleria put Mick's body down, and walked over to where Aku was standing. "The Keyhole to Darkness, huh?" Galleria asked. "If you open it, the Heartless will just overtake the entire world."

"That is of no concern to me," said Aku. "The Darkness has no power over me. Instead, _I _will use its power to rule over everything."

Galleria smirked. "Such confidence…"

The next thing Aku knew, the Keyblade Galleria had been brandishing was lodged deep into his chest.

"We'll see about that!" Galleria finished.

"Wh…what…what are you…?" Aku tried to stammer out.

"This Keyblade has the power to unlock other people's hearts!" said Galleria. "Open your heart—surrender to the Darkness! Become Darkness itself!"

As Galleria spoke, Aku's body began to distort with dark energy. Then…he seemed to be melting.

"What…are you…" Aku tried again, but he never got to finish. Suddenly, his entire body disintegrated.

"_NOOOOOOOOOOOooooooooo…_"

Abby, Double D, and Ed ran in just in time to hear Aku's last words, and to see his body disintegrate.

"Aku…disappeared?!" asked Abby.

"So we can take care of the Keyhole now?" asked Ed.

"I don't think so, Ed," said Double D.

Abby looked at Galleria, and seemed to realize something. "You…" she said. "You're not Galleria. Who _are _you?"

Galleria turned to the frightened trio. "It is I, Galaxia," the distorted voice said. "Seeker of Darkness."

"Galaxia?!" asked Ed.

"From the reports?!" asked Double D.

But Abby didn't falter. "Okay, look," she said. "I don't know who you are, and I don't care! I just want Galleria back. Give her back her heart!"

Galleria lifted one hand. Suddenly, something gave a violent thump inside Abby's chest.

"First, you must give the Hero back his heart," said Galleria.

"What?!" asked Abby.

"Don't you see?!" Galleria asked back. "Mick's heart rests within you!"

That's when Abby saw the body of her other friend behind Galleria. "Mick?!" she asked.

"The Keyhole will not be complete as long as the last Hero of Heart sleeps," said Galleria.

'_So…Mick's heart is inside me?!_' Abby thought. "Forget it!" she said out loud. "I won't let you take Galleria _or _Mick's heart!"

But this didn't faze Galleria in the slightest. "Nevertheless, I shall release you now, Hero," she said. She held up the Keyblade she held and pointed it at Abby.

Suddenly, the portal behind everyone rumbled.

"Look!" said Double D. "The Keyhole!"

"Hurry!" said Ed. "Close it, Abby!"

Abby held her Keyblade up. Nothing happened. "The Keyblade isn't responding!" she said.

"It won't work," said Galleria. "The Keyhole is not yet complete. But if you do nothing, it will just erupt out of control. Either way, the world will be engulfed by the Heartless."

Galleria then threw the Keyblade she held so it planted itself into the ground in front of Abby.

"Your only option is to free the Hero's heart from inside you," said Galleria. "Place this Keyblade to your chest…and release his heart." Then, Galleria's body seemed to slink into the shadows of the room.

Abby gazed at the black, seething Keyblade before her. Then, she slowly walked up to it.

"A-Abby?" asked Double D. "What are you doing?"

Ed began to get worried, too. "Was this part of the plan?" he asked.

Abby pulled the black Keyblade out of the ground with her free hand.

Double D and Ed realized what Abby was intending to do at the same time.

"Abby, don't!" said Double D.

"Wait, Abby!" said Ed.

"Ed, Double D…" said Abby. Then, she threw her Keyblade to Double D. "You two can handle the rest."

Then, to Ed and Double D's horror, Abby plunged the black Keyblade straight into her chest.

"ABBY!!" the knight and the wizard screamed at the same time. They ran toward their friend as fast as they could.

But as Abby fell backward, her body began to glow with a white light, and began to fade. At the same time, the Keyblade disappeared from Double D's hands.

However, at the same time, the Hearts belonging to the Seven Heroes, including Mick, were released. Each heart returned to its respective body, along with Mick's.

When Mick finally came to, the first thing he saw was two unknown boys screaming Abby's name, and Abby glowing white and falling backward.

"ABBY!" Mick yelled, running forward. He was able to catch Abby's body just before it hit the ground…

But then Abby's body burst into a million little lights.

---

'_Mick…Galleria…everyone…I'm sorry_.'

---

"ABBY!" Double D yelled. "Come back, Abby!"

"I don't like this game anymore, Double D!" said Ed.

---

When Abby opened her eyes again, she was surrounded by black. It was all around her.

'_Where…am I?_' Abby thought. '_What is this place?_'

Abby realized she was falling deeper into the blackness.

'_Falling…falling…into Darkness…?_'

---

"Hey, what the heck is going on here?!" Mick yelled at Ed and Double D. "What just happened?! Abby's not really…gone, right?!"

"So…you've awakened at last, Hero."

Ed, Double D, and Mick started at the new voice. Someone stepped out of the shadows near the Keyhole portal. It was a light-skinned woman, wearing a Sailor Senshi outfit and a headdress that appeared to be made out of golden metal plates.

"The Keyhole is now complete," said the woman. "You've served your purpose. But now…you are no longer needed."

"Who is that, Double D?" asked Ed.

"Galaxia?!" asked Double D. "Ed, get in front of Mick! We need to protect him!"

Galaxia gazed at the wizard and knight who had positioned themselves in front of the Hero of Heart. "You think you can stop me?" she asked.

"Can we, Double D?" Ed whispered.

"We have no choice," Double D whispered back.

But they needn't have worried. Suddenly, Galaxia stopped. Something emerged from her body.

"No! You won't use me for this!"

To Mick, Double D, and Ed's surprise, the faint outline of Galleria emerged from Galaxia.

"You guys have to run!" Galleria said to the boys. "The Heartless are coming!"

At the same time, the Keyhole portal seemed to spout open. Darkness began to leak from it.

"Mick, hurry!" said Double D, grabbing the boy's hand. "This way!"

"Wait!" said Mick. "What about Abby?! Is she…"

Suddenly, Mick saw something that shocked him even more: tears were streaming down Galleria's face.

"Galleria! Abby!" Mick called out as Ed and Double D led him away.

Galaxia looked at the spirit of Galleria. "I'm surprised you still had it in you to fight back," she said "But you're not getting your body back. Return to your Darkness."

With one last glare, Galleria's spirit completely faded.

"It's time for everything to return to Darkness," said Galaxia.

---

InuYasha, who had been a good distance away, was in shock. He had witnessed the entire scene, and was becoming increasingly worried about the Darkness that had begun seeping through the castle.

"What is that…?" the dog-boy asked.

---

"But what about the Keyhole, Double D?!" Ed asked as the three boys ran.

"We can't do anything about it!" said Double D. "We have to get to the Gummi Ship!"

"But what will happen to this world?" Ed asked back.

Suddenly, Mick saw something behind them. "A Heartless?" he asked.

Ed and Double D looked, too. Sure enough, standing behind them (on its hind legs) was a lone Heartless.

"Oh, dang it!" said Double D. "Will you get out of here, Heartless?!"

But, Mick suddenly squinted at the Heartless. What he said next shocked Ed and Double D.

"Abby?"

"_What_?!" Ed and Double D asked at the same time.

"But…how can that be?!" asked Double D.

"I'm not sure…" said Mick. "But somehow, I can tell it's her."

Suddenly, Ed spoke up. "Ooh! I see it too!" said Ed.

"_What _are you two talking about?!" asked Double D. But then he got a good look at the Heartless. Then… "Well, I'll be…" he said.

"Abby, it _is _you, right?" asked Mick. He knelt down in front of the Heartless, and gathered it in his arms. "Please come back."

Suddenly, the Heartless began to glow, along with Mick, Ed, and Double D's Friendship Bracelets.

When the light cleared, the boys couldn't believe their eyes. The Heartless that had been in Mick's arms was no longer there. Instead, it was Abby.

Abby opened her eyes, and smiled. "Guys…thank you," she said.


	25. Hollow Bastion 3

Chapter 12: Hollow Bastion, part 3

InuYasha stood in front of the Keyhole portal, which was still overflowing with Darkness.

"What is this?!" he asked. "Is this world going to be engulfed like _our _world was…?"

Then, InuYasha was just able to make out the body of Galaxia disappearing into the portal.

"InuYasha!"

The dog-boy whirled around, only to have Kagome engulf him in a hug.

"Kagome…!" said InuYasha.

"The Darkness is raging deep inside!" said Kagome. The other five Heroes of Heart were behind her. "We've held it out for this long, but we can't hold it forever! We need to seal the Keyhole!"

"But…" said InuYasha. "The Keybearer is no longer…"

"No longer what?"

Everyone turned, only to see Abby, Ed, Double D, and Mick enter the room.

"I'm right here!" said Abby, who was at the front of the little group. "And I'm the only one who can stop this!"

"Abby!" said Mac. He and Kiyo ran up to the psychic girl.

"Hurry up and close that thing!" said Kiyo. "There's no telling how much longer this world can take this kind of pressure!"

However, before Abby could react, something emerged from the portal. Something _big_.

"Look!" said Mac. "It's a giant Heartless!"

"Uh oh!" said Ed. He, Double D, and Abby were poised to fight, when…

"_SAILOR PLANET ATTACK!_"

Then, a giant beam from behind everyone slammed into the Heartless. And just like that, it was gone.

Everyone looked behind them. Standing there was Sailor Moon, the Inner Senshi, Sailor Chibi-Moon, and Tuxedo Kamen.

"Abby, seal the Keyhole!" Sailor Moon called out.

"Oh!" said Abby. She turned around and aimed the Keyblade at the giant Keyhole. This time, the usual beam shot out of the Keyblade, straight at the Keyhole, which closed with a click.

"You did it, Abby!" said Sailor Moon, running up to the psychic girl and hugging her.

Abby grinned. "Well, I certainly didn't do it alone," she said. "But…how did you guys get here?"

"Back on Traverse Town, Sailor Mercury made a ship in her spare time," said Sailor Chibi-Moon. "We used it to get here."

"This…is where we lived before the Heartless attacked," said Sailor Moon. "Long ago, when this world was attacked by Darkness, it was thought by everyone that the philosopher Galaxia died to protect everyone from the battle of the Heartless."

Tuxedo Kamen, who was holding a stack of papers, stepped forward. "But in actuality, Galaxia was the one who _created _the Heartless," he said. "We found the remaining parts of Galaxia's reports. We didn't realize her true identity because we only had part of it before." He handed the papers to Abby. "During her research of the Heartless, Galaxia ended up losing her heart and her body to Darkness."

"That's why she took Galleria's body," said Abby. "Where's Galaxia now?"

"The Abyss of Darkness lies beyond the worlds," said Sailor Mars.

"And that Darkness is enough to overpower the worlds," said Sailor Mercury.

"Enough to completely swallow them all up!" said Sailor Venus.

"Anyway, that's probably where Galaxia is," said Sailor Jupiter.

"All right!" said Abby. She turned to Double D and Ed. "I'm gonna go beat Galaxia and all the Heartless at once! Then everything will return to the way it's supposed to be!"

"Yay for us!" said Ed.

But when Abby turned back to the Senshi and Tuxedo Kamen, they all looked sad.

"What's wrong?" Abby asked.

"_Somebody _tell her," said Sailor Mars.

"Aw, do we have to?!" said Sailor Venus. "It's too sad!"

"Once the worlds are restored, they'll all be separated again," said Tuxedo Kamen. "And everyone will return to where they came from."

"Wait…" said Abby. "So…we'll never be able to see each other again?"

"Even the Gummi Ship might not do the trick," said Sailor Moon. "But…even if we never see each other again, we'll never forget each other."

"That's right," said Sailor Chibi-Moon. "Our hearts will always be connected!"

Abby paused. Then she smiled. "Yeah, you're right," she said. "Then…I guess we're going. Goodbye, everyone…"

Suddenly, Mick walked up to Abby. "Good luck," he said, patting the psychic girl on the shoulder.

But Abby was confused. "Mick…what are you doing?"

"What do you mean?" asked Mick.

"You're not going to insist that you come with us?" Abby asked.

"Why would I do that?" asked Mick. "This isn't my battle." He gave one of his warm-hearted smiles. "Besides, just 'cause I won't be with you, it doesn't mean I can't help. Besides…all we had to do was think of you, and you came back, right?"

Abby paused again, suddenly lost in thought. "Well…now that you mention it…" she said. "When I became a Heartless, I was completely engulfed in Darkness. And as I fell, I began to forget. Who I was, who my friends were…I almost became succumbed to it. But then…" Abby looked up. "I heard voices. Yours, Gallerias, all my new friends'…you guys brought me back." She turned to Ed and Double D. "You _all _did."

"There, you see?" asked Mick. "It's like you've been saying: as long as we think of each other, our hearts will always be connected." Then, he placed something in Abby's hand.

Abby looked at the object. It was five petal-shaped seashells woven together in the shape of a star. On one of the shells was a drawing of Mick's face.

"See?" Mick asked. "It's a lucky charm I made. Be sure to find Galleria, so you can both bring it back to me!" His smile then became soft. "Abby, we knew it was you even after you became a Heartless. Just remember: no matter where you go, we'll always be with you. _All _of us."

Abby was surprised by what Mick said. But then, she gave a wide smile, too.

"Okay," she said. "I'll bring back Galleria and save everyone! I promise!"

* * *

**A/N**: Well, five hours and one cramped hand later…the Hollow Bastion chapter is complete! Only one last world to go! Until then, happy reading! ;)-**AMX**


	26. End of the World

** Author's Note**: Okay, this is it! The last chapter of _Kingdom of Earth_! Thanks to Sage of Dorks, Mugiwara Gorillaz, majora999, Musical Ninja, JusSonic, MissKenniGurl672, ThunderRiver411, RandomNumbers523156, and Gijinka Renamon for being loyal readers and reviewing the story. I've wanted to write this story forever, and I have other ideas in the works, including one for Christmas. But for now, all you readers will just have to tide yourselves over with the exciting ending of the first story of my Kingdom of Earth saga! Happy reading! ;)-**AMX

* * *

**

Chapter 13: End of the World

The path she was walking seemed endless.

No matter how many steps Galleria took, it didn't seem like she was getting anywhere. And the path she was walking on was the only thing visible; everything else was just black, black, black.

Finally, the girl just couldn't walk anymore. Galleria stopped walking, and sank to her knees.

'_Is this…the afterlife?_' Galleria thought, looking around. But the recent memories of her actions quickly caused her to sink back to the ground. '_Oh Abby…Mick…I'm sorry. I'm so, so sorry. What have I done? How could I let this happen? All I want…is to see you two again…that's all…_'

_**"Galleria, can you hear me?"**_

Galleria's head shot up at the new voice that rang in her head. She looked around, but saw nobody.

"Who's there?" she asked quietly.

_**"Your heart defeated the darkness, but you lost your body. That's why your heart has been left on this side of the Darkness. However…just like Abby acquired the Keyblade on the side of Light, you've acquired the Keyblade on this side."**_

"The Keyblade…on this side?" Galleria asked.

_**"In order to close the door to Darkness, two hearts are needed…and two keys."**_

"But…what do you want me to do?" asked Galleria. "What _can _I do? I just tried to hurt my two best friends in the world…"

Suddenly, a beam of light appeared in front of Galleria. And it almost seemed like…a person was inside it.

_**"It's okay. Maybe…you were destined to come here. Just like me…"**_

---_**  
**_

If Abby, Ed, and Double D thought Hollow Bastion was worse for wear, the area they dubbed The End of the World was complete shambles. The entire area was nothing but random rocks and a large body of water.

"Is this all that's left of the worlds taken by the Heartless?" asked Ed. "They aren't very tasting in decorating, aren't they?"

"That's _tasteful_, Ed," said Double D. "But I will admit, this is beginning to get out of hand."

"It's okay," said Abby. "Once we defeat Galaxia, this will all be over. And then…Mick, Galleria, and I will go back to our island together. I'm sure of it!"

Ed looked around. "Where do you think that Galaxy woman went?" he asked.

"Well, if you ask me," said Double D, "to find _Galaxia_, we need to dive into the most dangerous place here. She's sure to be there."

Suddenly, the trio heard a large crash off to their right side. They turned…and saw a large hoard of Heartless, from small to giant.

"Okay…I'd say _every _place here is dangerous!" said Abby.

---

The next thing Abby, Ed, and Double D knew, they were fighting their way through humongous seas of Heartless; even bigger than the hoards in Hollow Bastion. They were so focused on fighting, they almost didn't notice when they suddenly found themselves in a large cave, near the middle of the area.

Thankfully, there weren't any Heartless in the cave. Double D and Ed flopped to the ground.

"This has been quite an experience," said Double D. "And we haven't even gotten to Galaxia yet!"

"Tired," said Ed. "Must rest now."

Meanwhile, Abby was looking around at the inside of the cave. "What is this place?" she asked.

Ed and Double D looked up, and immediately realized what Abby was talking about. There were holes in the ceiling of the cave, causing pillars of light to shine through. And inside the pillars of light…were pillars of smoke.

Abby walked up to one of the smoke pillars to get a closer look. When she did, she was shocked at what she saw.

"Guys…I can see Traverse Town in here!" the psychic girl exclaimed.

Ed and Double D walked up to other pillars of smoke.

"Oh my…here's Deep Space!" said Double D.

"I can see Jump City in there!" said Ed. "Hi, Teen Titans!"

The trio did another look through the cave, and suddenly realized just how many pillars of smoke there were.

"It looks like a lot of worlds are being stored here," said Double D.

"This…it's almost like a prison for all the worlds," said Abby. That's when she realized there was something else in the cave: a large double-door.

Abby walked closer to the door, followed by Double D and Ed. "Where's this go?" she asked.

_**"Be careful…"**_

Abby started. "Did you guys say something?" she asked, turning to Ed and Double D.

"No," said Double D.

"I forget," said Ed.

"Oh," said Abby. '_Strange…that voice sounded familiar…_' She sighed. "Well…I guess this is it. You guys ready?"

"For what?" asked Ed.

Double D gave the knight an unsurprised glance. "Yes, we're ready," he said. "And we'll be fine, as long as we're together.

Abby nodded. "Right." With that, she reached for the door and pushed both sides open. As soon as she did, a bright light engulfed the cave.

_**"But don't be afraid. Your heart is the mightiest weapon of all. Remember, you are the one who will open the door to the Light…"**_

---

When the light dimmed, Abby, Ed, and Double D found themselves on a lush island, facing a giant, blue ocean.

Abby's eyes widened. "This is…" Images of Mick, Galleria, the Secret Place, and the house she shared with her brother…they all flashed through her mind. "This is our island! Vega Island!"

_"This world has been connected…"_

Abby, Ed, and Double D started at the sudden voice; for some reason, Abby felt like she had heard this voice before, too.

_"Tied to the Darkness…soon to be completely eclipsed. There is still so much to learn…"_

"Look!" said Double D. "The Ocean's turning black!"

Sure enough, the water surrounding the island was not only turning pitch black, it was receding. Then, a tremor suddenly hit the island, causing a large crack in the ground right in front of Abby. Suddenly, an image of cloaked figure flashed through her mind, and she remembered where she had heard those words before.

_"You understand so little. A meaningless effort. One who knows nothing…can understand nothing."_

Suddenly, Abby sensed a presence behind the group. She whirled around so she was facing a nearby cliff, now jagged and cracked from the tremor.

There, standing on the edge, looking out over the water was Galaxia. She was still in the form of Galleria's body, in the black Heartless outfit.

"Take a look at this tiny place," said Galaxia. "To a heart seeking freedom, this island is a prison, surrounded by water. And this girl…she sought to escape the prison. She sought to find a way to cross over to other worlds."

After saying this, Galaxia finally turned around to face the trio. As she did, her form shifted from Galleria's body to her golden metal-plate Senshi form.

"So…she opened her heart to Darkness," Galaxia finished.

A near-overwhelming pang of fear shot through Abby when she saw Galleria's body disappear. "Galleria!!" she called out.

"Don't bother," said Galaxia. "Your voice can no longer reach her where she is. Her heart has returned to Darkness. All worlds begin there…and also end!"

Suddenly, the entire island seemed to…crumble all around Abby, Ed, and Double D. An unimaginable power seemed to be tearing everything apart, and the trio was right in the middle of it. And while all this was happening, Galaxia continued to talk.

"The heart is no different. Darkness sprouts within it, grows, consumes it. Only the power of a heart without Darkness is powerful enough to open the Kingdom of Earth."

Soon, the entire island that Abby, Double D, and Ed had been standing on just moments before was completely gone, and they found themselves floating in blackness.

"And the seven hearts without Darkness in all the worlds belonging to the Seven Heroes of Heart…have opened the door!"

Suddenly, Galaxia reappeared in front of Abby, Ed, and Double D. But now, besides her Senshi uniform, she sprouted a pair of huge black demon wings, and a crazed look in her eyes.

"Behold the Endless Abyss! Within lies the heart of all worlds…the Kingdom of Earth!" A pulse of Darkness flowed from Galaxia as she shouted maniacally. "Every light must fade! EVERY HEART MUST RETURN TO DARKNESS!"

"Abby, look!" said Double D, pointing behind them.

Abby looked. Behind the trio was another double-door, but this one was _huge_. Also, it was slightly ajar…and Darkness was wafting out through the crack.

"That doesn't look good," said Ed.

"Hurry!" said Abby. "We need to close that door!"

But as the trio began to fly over to the door, something reached out and stopped them. The next thing the trio knew, tendrils of Darkness were wrapping around their bodies, threatening to completely consume them.

"It is futile," Galaxia's voice loudly rang through the area. "The Keyblade alone is not enough to seal the Door to Darkness!"

Abby looked over at her friends; Double D was struggling to keep his head visible, while Ed was struggling to get his shield free.

"And now your hearts will return to the Darkness from whence they came!!"

When Galaxia said this, something clicked inside Abby. Suddenly, everything made sense to her. And one thing was definitely clear to her: what Galaxia was saying was absolutely untrue. And she was going to make that clear.

"You're wrong!" Abby yelled, fighting against the hold that the Darkness vines had her in. "That isn't the heart's true essence at all!" Images of Galleria flashed through her mind. "The heart may be weak…and sometimes it even gives in…but I've finally figured it out."

As Abby spoke, the Darkness that had a hold on her, Double D, and Ed seemed to weaken, allowing them to break free.

"No matter what, deep down in every heart, there's a light that never goes out!" Abby finished. "I know without a doubt now…

"The Kingdom of Earth…is LIGHT!"

Just then, to the shock of Galaxia, Darkness was no longer seeping through the door. Instead, a light had appeared, shining through the crack. And it was getting brighter, and brighter, and brighter…

"What?!" Galaxia yelled as the Light began to engulf the Darkness. "Light?! But how…?! So…warm…!!"

The light seemed to cut through Galaxia like a knife. And when it dimmed…she was no more.

To Abby, Double D, and Ed's great relief, Galaxia was defeated.

"That bright light is what _really _lies deep in everyone's hearts," said Abby. She smiled. "I know it."

"Uh, guys?" asked Ed. He pointed to the door.

"Oh, right!" said Double D. "We need to hurry up and close it!"

Abby, Ed, and Double D floated down to the platforms that led to the massive double-door. Without any haste, Abby began pushing on one door, while Ed and Double D took the other.

"Heavy!" Ed groaned.

"Hurry!" said Double D. "We haven't got much time!"

"But…" Abby forced all her strength onto the door. "I don't think we can do this alone!"

"Don't give up!"

Suddenly, from the other side of the door, a hand shot out and began pulling on the door Abby was pushing.

It was Galleria. The _real _Galleria

"Come on Abby!" Galleria called out. "We can do this! We'll do it together!"

"But…" said Abby. "If we close the door now, you'll be trapped in there!"

"It's okay!" Galleria said back. "We found each other once already, and we can do it again!" Then, she held up the wrist that had her Friendship Bracelet on it for emphasis. "I'm sure of it."

This seemed to give Abby a second wind. She began to push on the door again.

"There are Heartless in there!" Ed suddenly yelled.

Abby and Double D looked. Sure enough, on Galleria's side of the door were humongous Heartless, just begging to break through the door.

"Keep pushing!" Double D yelled.

Suddenly, on Galleria's side of the door, a bright light appeared. Someone slashed through the oncoming Heartless with one swipe.

It was a short boy with three black hairs on his head, wearing a yellow, red, and purple outfit, and holding a gold Keyblade.

"Now, Abby!" the boy called to the psychic girl. "Let's close this door for good!"

"YOUR MAJESTY?!" Ed and Double D yelled.

"But I can't just leave you guys in there!" Abby protested.

"Abby, there are more coming!" said Ed.

The boy with the golden Keyblade smiled. "Don't worry," he said. "There will always be a Door to the Light."

"Abby, you can trust King Eddy," said Double D.

"But what are we gonna tell Nazz and Sarah?" asked Ed.

"Abby…I…"

Abby's eyes shot back to Galleria's. Instead of finishing what she was going to say, the older girl simply gave a sad smile.

"Take care of yourself. And take care of Mick, okay?"

However, Galleria's _true _voice rang loud and clear in Abby's mind.

_"I Love You."_

Abby felt tears coming to her eyes. She had fought so hard to save Galleria…but now she had no choice but to close another door between them. But she knew it had to be done. And Galleria was right: they had already found each other once. They could do it again. She pushed harder on the door.

"Almost there!" said Double D.

"We will bring you back soon, Your Majesty!" Ed proclaimed.

'_Galleria..._' Abby thought. '_...I love you, too._'

Then, with one last _thud_, the door closed.

Abby held up her Keyblade; on the other side, King Eddy did the same. A beam shot out of each Keyblade, straight at the giant door. With the power of the two Keyblades, the door locked shut with a loud _click_. Then…it disappeared in a wall of light.

Abby, Double D, and Ed just stood there, staring at the place where the door once was. It was, of course, Ed who broke the heavy silence.

"Was that it?" the knight asked.

"…I guess so," said Double D. "I think we'd better leave."

As Abby turned along with Double D and Ed, she spotted something…make that some_one_, standing on a floating rock covered in sand a few feet away.

"Mick!" Abby exclaimed. She ran over to her other friend.

"Abby!" Mick called back.

When Abby got to Mick, she couldn't hide the disappointment she was feeling.

"Mick…" she said. "I couldn't bring back Galleria."

Mick smiled. "It's okay," he said.

"No it's not!" Abby protested. "She was _right there _in front of me, Mick! But I had to close that door, and trap her on the other side! We were supposed to go back to our island together!"

However, Mick didn't miss a beat. "Yeah, we were," he said. "But I'm not worried. Because I know you, of all people, will be able to find her, Abby." He looked down at his Friendship Bracelet, still hanging on the chain attached to his pants. "Yeah, the bonds I have with you two are strong…" He looked up again. "But they're nothing compared to the bond you and Galleria have. And as long as you have that bond, I know you'll always find each other again." He nodded, giving a big grin. "And I'll always be here to cheer you on."

Abby couldn't help but smile. "Mick…" Then, she realized something. "Hey, how'd you get here, anyway?"

Mick's smile disappeared. "I…don't really know," he said, shrugging. "One minute I was with…"

Suddenly, the ground shifted beneath Abby and Mick's feet. Mick reached out and grabbed Abby's hand, to keep her from falling. As they continued to hold each other's hand, Abby and Mick realized that the platforms they were standing on (the black rock holding Abby and the sandy rock holding Mick) were slowly beginning to float apart.

"Mick!" Abby called out to her friend. "Remember what you said to me before? I'm always with you, too! I'll always be with _all _of the friends I've made! I want to thank you…for helping me realize that!" Then, the psychic girl gave a real smile. "I _will _find Galleria. And then…we'll both come back to you! I promise!"

Mick smiled back, then nodded. "I know you will," he said.

Finally, the space between the two rocks became too much. Abby and Mick let go of each other's hand.

---

Once Mick let go of Abby's hand, the entire sky around him burst with little lights. They streaked through the sky like shooting stars. Around him, Vega Island returned: the palm trees sprout back up, the water flowed back to the shore, and the sand spread out to cover the whole area.

Mick, awestruck, just gazed at the lights streaking across the sky.

"The worlds…are returning," he said.

---

The next morning, Mick found himself wandering through Abby and Galleria's Secret Place. He gazed at the drawings on the cave walls that had been created in a child's scrawl: the skeleton, the boy with dog-ears, the girl from space…all of them. But one particular drawing caught Mick's eye.

It was the three stick figures. One of Abby, one of Galleria, and one of Mick. And each stick figure had a Friendship Bracelet on its wrist; the Abby stick figure had Bracelets on both wrists.

That's when Mick decided to do something he never thought he'd do. He looked down at the orange and blue Friendship Bracelet that was attached to his pocket chain, just like always. Then, he slowly unhooked the Bracelet from the chain, and held it up in front of his face.

Then, with a smile on his face, Mick took his Friendship bracelet and slipped it onto his wrist.

---

"Well…_now_ what do we do?"

Abby, Ed, and Double D were walking down a new path. This path was surrounded by green grass, and big trees. A complete contrast to the bare, dark paths they had to follow before.

Abby looked at Double D, who had asked the question.

"I think it's obvious," said Abby. "We need to find Galleria and the king."

Ed was too busy playing with a butterfly to notice what the other two were saying.

Just then, Abby spotted someone up ahead. It was a little brown-skinned boy holding a piece of wood with a face on it. He looked familiar.

"Hey, it's that boy again…" she said.

That's when Double D and Ed also saw the boy. They couldn't believe their eyes.

"Hi, Plank! Hi, Jonny!" Ed called out.

Jonny looked over and saw the trio. "Hey!" he said. "Do you guys now how long Plank and I have been waiting?"

"Jonny, where have you two been?" asked Double D.

Jonny paused. "Hmm…beats me," he said. "Oh yeah!" He reached into his pocket. "Plank just reminded me that we're supposed to give you something!"

With that, Jonny took an envelope out of his pocket, and held it up for the trio to see.

Ed and Double D got excited when they saw the envelope. It was being held shut by a sticker that looked like a jawbreaker.

"That's the king's seal!" said Ed.

"Jonny, where did you get that?" asked Double D.

Instead of answering, Jonny held Plank up to his ear. "What's that, Plank?" he asked. He paused, then smiled. "Plank says if you wanna know, you have to catch us first!"

Then, without warning, Jonny took off down the road, Plank and envelope in hand.

"Hey!" Double D yelled. He began to run after Jonny and Plank.

"Oh boy!" said Ed, running after Double D. "Am I it?!"

As Abby ran after her two new friends, she couldn't help but smile. She knew she was going to find Galleria again. And who knows? Maybe along the way, she, Ed, and Double D would find new and even more exciting adventures. But for now…the peace was enough for her.

_**"Remember, Abby. You are the one who will open the Door to the Light."**_

Kingdom of Earth: The End

* * *

** A/N**: And…there you go. The first story is complete! Now that _that's _done…I get to work on the new story I've been wanting to write! Hopefully people will like that story as much as this one. But until then…thank you all, and happy reading! ;)-**AMX**

**Coming soon**: _Decemberween is Here Again!_


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